Of Family, Friendship and Other Things
by Dory-Tox
Summary: Ed and Roy are polar opposites, united in the fact they were rescued by Izumi Curtis. But a new boy at school heralds changes that will bring their pasts crashing back down on them, with unwelcome consquences.
1. First Day

_Hello! Welcome to this new story. _

_Rating: T, for language and some dark themes, including mentions of past child abuse and gory accidents (Not too bad, if you can watch FMA you can read this)._

_This fic is set in an AU version of Amestris. There is alchemy and automail but no souls bonded to armour or chimera's. _

_Enjoy._

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><p><span>Of Family, Friendship and Other Things<span>

Chapter One: First Day

Roy Mustang let out a litany of swear words as he rubbed his head where he'd just bashed it on the bunk above him. Stupid nightmares, making him bolt upright when he was on the bottom bunk. Stupid bunk bed for that matter, it hadn't been an issue when it had first become his bed five years ago but he'd had a growth spurt since then, though on reflection that wasn't the bed's fault.

Roy's inner grumblings were disturbed as a pillow hit him with unerring accuracy in the face. Grabbing the offending item, Roy, with equally unerring accuracy, hit the occupant of the bed above, who had thrown the pillow in the first place, in the face.

"Too damn early bastard," was the mumbled, sleepy reply. Roy counted to ten and climbed out of bed, as expected the boy above him was already asleep. A quick glance at the clock told Roy it was half an hour until he had to be up anyway. Shrugging he decided he'd help his roommate get up quicker but shoving his alarm clock between the pillow and the bars that stopped him rolling out of bed. Then taking his own clock Roy placed in on top of the wardrobe where he knew the other could not reach. Gathering up clothes and a T-shirt Roy headed to the shower.

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><p>Edward slammed Roy's now broken alarm clock on the breakfast table beside him.<p>

"Something happened to your clock, don't know what," he said nonchalantly. Roy merely shrugged and pulled a pen.

"Roy Mustang you better not be about to draw on the table cloth or so help me I will skin you alive," Izumi Curtis yelled. Roy shot her his best innocent look and snagged a piece of paper his bag, which lay nearby. Ed was smiling smugly and didn't manage to drop it before Izumi looked at him. "And you can stop breaking other people's property," she said to him with a stern glare. She turned back to watch Roy pen a quick array on to the paper, shoving the clock into the circle he activated the array and looked please when his alarm clock sat there ticking pleasantly.

"Wouldn't have needed a pen," Ed muttered causing Roy to glare at him. Izumi gave a long suffering sigh.

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><p>Izumi Curtis and her husband Sig had just come to terms with their inability to have children when they found the lost and injured child by the railway tracks. When his parents couldn't be located and all the information that could be retrieved from the boy was that his name was Edward they had eagerly taken the boy in. Though they had never pretended to be Edward's parents he truly felt like their son.<p>

When Edward was eleven years old his social worker told Izumi about a boy of twelve who had been taken away from abusive and drunk parents. The boy suffered from chronic nightmares, as Edward did, and consequently could not be found a suitable home. That was how Roy Mustang joined the Curtis family and so began Izumi's life of mediating fights and arguments between the two boys but then she was more than up for the challenge.

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><p>"I'm going to school," Ed said, grabbing his blazer and school bag.<p>

"Wait I'll give you a ride," Roy called, but Ed was gone. He cursed and mumbled as he pulled his shoes on and grabbed his own bag and car keys, stopping to check his appearance in the hall mirror, something Ed never did.

Ever since Roy had learned to drive and been given a car by his Aunt, the only member of his family he still talked too, he had been offering Ed lifts to school, but Ed always initially refused. As soon as Roy caught site of Ed walking down the street he slowed down and curb crawled. Once he pulled alongside Ed he yelled out of the passenger window, "Get in or you'll be late," before coming to a complete stop to allow Ed to climb into the old beater. Ed growled as he got in.

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><p>Roy smoothly parked his car in the school car park and he and Ed climbed out. Most of the female students turned to stare as the two arrived, taking in their chalk and cheese appearances. Roy was tall, dark haired and pale skinned, with dark eyes. His uniform, black trousers, white shirt, dark red tie and matching blazer with the school crest on the breast pocket, was neat yet still managed to look good on him. In contrast, Ed was short, blond, a little more tanned than Roy and had the most startling golden eyes. His uniform had the addition of a, non-regualtion, grey hoodie underneath his blazer, his tie was loose and his shirt un-tucked. In addition his right arm and left leg were prosthetics, replacing the limbs he'd lost as a child before Izumi found him.<p>

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><p>"You looks so dapper in that uniform, I'm so proud of you for getting in to the academy," Trisha Elric said, hugging her son tightly.<p>

"Ow, Mom." Alphonse Elric whined. "I need to go now or I'll be late."

"Ok, sure you don't want a lift?"

"Yes, I don't want the whole school thinking I'm a mummy's boy."

"But you are," Trisha said, ruffling her son's hair. Alphonse ducked and dashed out the door, yelling a goodbye behind him. Trisha smiled fondly as her son ran down the street towards the bus stop.

Once he was out of sight she turned back into her house. Glancing at the clock to check how long before her work began. Her eye's fell on the photograph hanging underneath the clock. In the photo she was holding baby Alphonse, next to her stood her husband holding the elder of her two sons. A familiar ache started in her chest. It had been twelve years since she had last seen either of them. Her husband had been involved in something bad, something that meant they had to pack up suddenly and start a new life somewhere else. For ease they had split up, each taking one of the young boys with them, planning to meet up later. Hohenheim had disappeared taking her five-year old with him.

The police turned up nothing, eventually deciding Hohenheim had taken the boy and run. Trisha knew it wasn't true but no one listened. The ache of lose had never left her since that day, even as she watched Alphonse grow into a teenager. Every night she went to bed whispering the same words to the photograph on the wall, knowing the intended recipients could not hear them. "Goodnight Van, goodnight Edward."

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><p>Being a scholarship student was hard. Alphonse was already known as the poor kid, the other students coming up with stereotypical scenarios of his life. Most of the other kids were snobby and looked down on him.<p>

He'd heard mention of another scholarship student in the year above him, only ever referred to as Curtis. Alphonse had briefly entertained the idea of finding and befriending this student but decided just because they were both scholarship students didn't mean they had anything in common.

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><p>"Hey, apparently there is a new scholarship student in the year below." Ed grunted in reply to the rather annoying voice that insisted on chatting to him while he was reading.<p>

"Word on the street is he's an easier target, so Kimblee's gang may end up with less bruises."

"Ling, that's a terrible thing to say," another voice added. "Ed its break stop reading," the second voice added. Ed just ignored it until the book abruptly left his hand and he was faced with a scowling blonde girl.

"Winry!" Ed moaned, trying to swipe his book back.

"I can cause you a lot of pain, remember," she replied and Ed stopped, sitting staring sulkily at his two best friends.

Winry Rockbell he'd known for years. Her family had outfitted him with the automail that now replaced the limbs he'd lost. In fact she had made the current arm and leg that he used. Ed had only met Ling Yao at high school but instantly the Xingnese man had practically attached himself to Ed claiming they'd be the best of friends, Ed hadn't been able to shake him since.

A group of senior boys joined them, a tall dark haired man with glasses throwing his arms around Ed's shoulders casually.

"Hey Ed," he greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Hughes," Ed replied with a resigned sigh. The boys that now surrounded them were Roy's crew, Ed liked them, though he didn't often show it, as long as Roy was absent. Which happened to be the case currently, also missing was the only female in their group, Riza Hawkeye, the one person who could keep them all in check and frequently did.

"Ed do you know where Roy is? We can't find him," A blonde boy asked.

"Why the hell would I know Jean? You're his friends," Ed hissed back, not caring where their missing ring leader was.

"Well you're like his brother," Jean carelessly replied. Winry was making frantic stop gestures behind Ed, while Hughes gave a long suffering sigh. Meanwhile the others in the group, Heymans Breda, Vato Falman and Kain Furey, moved away from Jean as Ed raised his automail arm and made a fist. "Did I say brother? I meant, erm, house-mate, yeah, that's what I meant." Jean Havoc quickly amended, making placating gestures with his hands. Ed rolled his eyes and lowered his hand with a sigh.

"Where are you going?" Winry asked as he stood up.

"Getting food," Ed replied before walking away.

* * *

><p>"Don't trip newbie," the boys laughed as Al cursed softly, berating himself for not paying attention. He could've avoided tripping over the bullies foot if he was looking where he was going, not reading his book. It was a bad habit of his to read while walking and one he realised he needed to drop at this school.<p>

"Wasn't really my fault," Al answered as he stood up. Looking down the corridor he realised it was empty except for him and the three seniors surrounding him.

"Excuse me? Are you blaming me, you could have seriously hurt me with your carelessness. This is why trash shouldn't be allowed into this school."

"Trash?" Al looked up and down the corridor before raising his eyebrow sarcastically. "This school looks pretty clean too me. Now I must be off." As Al tried to step away and hand grabbed his shoulder and shoved him into the wall.

"Are you making fun of me? I'm going to make you sorry you ever even heard of this school," the ring leader of the bullies hissed taking a swing for Al, who ducked causing the bully to punch the wall.

A knee connected with Al's gut causing him to hunch over and slide down the wall. Looking up Al saw the bullies towering over him and realised he was trapped. Pulling back his now bloodied fist the ring leader grinned with the sure certainty his pray was trapped. Al closed his eyes a shielded his head with his arms waiting for the punch to land. Instead there was a dull thunk and a string of bitter swear words.

Opening his eyes Al saw a new figure standing over him. A blonde braid fell down his back and his right arm was held out directly in the path of the bullies punch.

"You better watch it Curtis or I'm going to tear you apart," the bully hissed.

"Whatever you say Kimblee," the stranger replied, inspecting his fingers nails in a disinterested gesture, which Al figured the boy did purely to annoy as he wore gloves. Kimblee narrowed his eyes before turning to his companions.

"Not sure I want to dirty my hands with you filth anyway." With that they were gone.

"Hey thanks," Al said as the stranger relaxed his tense posture. Looking down at Al, he shrugged, holding out his right hand for the Al to grab. Taking hold of it Al's eyes widened in surprise. The hand in the glove was too solid. With a quick yank Al was on his feet next to the boy. "I'm Alphonse Elric. You're Curtis right? What's your surname?" Al asked. The boy laughed.

"Curtis is my surname. I'm Edward, just call me Ed. So if you hadn't worked out by now Alphonse, you don't want to mess with those guys."

"Yeah, got that one figured now," Al replied grabbing his discarded his bag and book.

"See ya."

"Hey wait," Al called after Ed's retreating figure but Ed didn't stop.

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><p>The school was filled with the excited chatter of teenagers heading home. Roy walked into the car park Hughes by his side. He scowled when he saw Ed sitting cross legged on the hood of his car. Winry stood by the side of the car chatting to him.<p>

"Hey, you dent my car with you stupid metal leg and I'll dent you," Roy called out when he was in ear shot of the two younger students. Ed shot him a sly grin as Winry looked outraged.

"His what?" she growled, angry that her best piece of work was being insulted. Roy sighed, realising why Ed looked so happy with the statement. Hughes, who'd always got on well with Winry, calmed her down as Roy unlocked the driver's door of his car, leaning over he manually unlocked the rest of the doors.

"You should get a car with automatic locks," Ed grumbled, climbing in the back with Winry.

"You should get a car," Roy answered back, putting the key in the ignition.

A little way down the road Winry pointed at the bus stop ahead of them.

"Hey is that the new kid," she said.

"His name is Alphonse and yes it is," Ed answered, before giving everyone a 'what?' expression when they looked at him, except for Roy who was watching the road.

"You met him? When?" Winry asked.

"Apparently when you weren't tracking me. Hey why you slowing bastard." The last part was directing at Roy who was pulling up at the bus stop. Rolling down he addressed Al, who was surprised that a complete stranger was talking to him.

"Want a lift kid?"

"Erm..."

"I apologize for him complete, but he's harmless," Ed said having rolled his own window down poked his head out to grin at Al.

"I am not harmless shorty," Roy growled and swore as Ed punched him in the back of his head. With a nervous laugh, Al climbed into the back of car, taking Ed's seat as he shuffled over. After Al had given Roy his address introductions were made.

Hughes was dropped off first. Then Winry who, to Al surprise, kissed Ed before she left.

"Wait are you two?" Al asked leaving the question hanging.

"Yeah," was all Ed replied as he climbed into the front seat, leaving Al alone in the back.

"Gotta keep on the good side of his mechanic," Roy said before being punched again by Ed.

"You do that one more time and I swear I'll burn you."

"Yeah right, like you could catch me."

"I specialize in small targets."

"If you weren't driving I'd beat you to a pulp."

"Maybe you two should calm down," Al said nervously, jumping in surprise as Roy laughed.

"Don't worry we've been fighting pretty much none stop since we met, you'll get used to it."

"Yeah, it's all his fault though," Ed said.

"My fault?"

The arguing continued until they reached Al's house. He quickly exited with a thank you, feeling much safer outside the contained area of the car.

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><p>"Hey sweetie, how was school? Make any new friends?" Trisha asked, when she got home after a long shift.<p>

"I'm not sure," was Al's cryptic answer.

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! Please review to let me know what you think.<em>

_This story pretty much stemmed for one breif idea I had about wanting to write a story where Trisha is still alive. Also reading fanfic I see a lot of people call Hohenheim, Hohenheim Elric. I prefer the manga and brotherhood story-line to the orginal so I shall stick with the manga version of his name (which is technically the correct version), Van Hoheheim. I'm not sure whether this is a first name and a surname or what but I wanted Trisha to use a more intimate name for him, hence her calling him Van. I just wanted to clear that up for anyone, especially if you are not acquainted with the manga/brotherhood storyline, who may have been confused by that. Any other questions please ask._

_A note for readers of I Want You: Thank you for your wonderful reviews on the last chapter, you did manage to give me over 200 reviews which makes me very happy and the support and praise I got was wonderful. I also got some helpful hints which I will keep in mind for writing this story, so hopefully it'll be even better._

_DT~_


	2. Making Friends

_Hi, bit of a mission getting this chapter out. Couldn't upload this chapter had to copy and paste it over a chapter of I Want You that was still lurking in my DM. Anyway sorry it's a couple of days late. (I realise I never said when I would get this out but I trying to keep to a weekly schedule.)_

_So thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I loved to response I got. _

_Someone asked if there were definite pairings and I realised I forgot to write that. Pairings are mostly canon, EdxWin, HughesxGracia, possiable AlxMei and RoyxRiza (They are canon in my mind) _

_As for other questions I got asked, they all involve spoilers so you'll have to read to find out. Talking of reading you probably want to do that about know. _

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><p><span>Chapter Two: Making Friends.<span>

Roy was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, a coffee cup in one hand and a slice of toast in the other, when Ed stumbled down stairs the next morning. As usual Sig was already in the butcher's shop the Curtis's owned.

"Where's teacher," Ed mumbled, sleepily, using the title he'd given Izumi long ago.

"Didn't get up this morning," Roy replied, passing a mug of coffee to Ed who took it gratefully. The two young men shared a look, if Izumi didn't get up it meant her illness was particularly bad. "She's been pretty bad lately, how long before someone decides she can't look after us anymore," Roy said quietly. Ed's cup slammed onto the counter.

"Shut up," he hissed, his sleepiness disappearing in his anger. Roy put down his own empty cup and finished the last of his toast before holding his hands up in surrender.

It wasn't as if he wanted to leave Izumi's but he didn't really agree with Ed's deny-it-and-it-won't-happen strategy. Ed scowled and gave him the finger before turning to storm away. To Roy's surprise he stopped at the door, scrubbing a hand over his face he turned back to Roy.

"If you can keep your mouth shut can we go pick up Alphonse?" Roy blinked in surprise before raising an eyebrow and letting his familiar smirk grace his face.

"Unless you have his phone number he'll probably have gone to get the bus before we get there."

"Well then let's drive past the bus stop and pick him up if he's there."

"Fine then, let's move."

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><p>Al almost jumped when the old beater pulled up near the bus stop and hooted at him. Tugging the earphones out of his ear, he grinned and got in, greeting Ed and Roy.<p>

"Is this going to become a habit, you picking me up at bus stops?" he asked.

"Nah, might as well just wait at your house for me to pick you up in the morning and meet us in the car park after school," Roy replied.

"What? Really? Your offering me lifts every day?"

"Why not? You live pretty much en route anyway."

Ed twisted round in his seat to talk to Al.

"Ok kid, here are the rules to surviving this school."

"There are rules?" Al asked sceptically.

"Yes, now listen carefully. Amestris South Academy, is one of the best schools in the country. Which means it full of snobbish brats -"

"Hey," Roy cut in.

"apart from a few good people. Winry and Hughes, who you met yesterday, are two of those people. We'll introduce you to more tonight. My friend, Ling, has a sister in your year."

"Not to mention said sister has had the biggest crush on Ed from the stories her brother told, that is until she met him." Roy laughed.

"Do you remember the part about keeping your mouth shut?" Ed hissed at him.

"No," Roy said. Ed chose to ignore him.

"Anyway, people like Kimblee think scholarship students are weak and pathetic, I proved him wrong but he's still a bastard. Got that?"

"Yes, I already worked that out. What happened to those rules?"

"Oh right yeah. One, avoid Kimblee and his goons as much as possible. Two, keep your head down and your grades up. Three, don't act like a scholarship student, I don't actually know what that means but it sounds good. Got it?"

Al was frowning by the time Ed finished; unable to get over the fact this boy in front of him was crazy. Looking up he caught Roy's sympathetic look in the rear view mirror.

"Erm... yeah?" he replied to Edward.

"Good," Ed said with a satisfied grin, the scowled as Roy started laughing at him.

"So are you picking Winry and Hughes?" Al asked.

"No I'm not," Roy replied. "They live within walking distance. Hughes has a habit of distracting me so I don't realise he gets in the car. Of course I do notice but I can't be bothered to care anymore. As for Winry I guess sometimes she and Ed want more time together." Ed made some non-committal noise from where he was slumped in his seat.

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><p>There was something distinctly satisfying sitting down with friends on your second day at a new school. Ling was currently talking Al's ear off. Al was only catching half of it but he almost spurted his drink out of his nose as one comment managed to make it into his head.<p>

"Sorry did you say prince?"

"Oh yeah didn't I mention he was a prince?" Ed asked, looking up from the book he'd been reading.

"No," Al spluttered, taken completely off guard.

"What is it with you two; your reaction is almost as bad as Ed's was. Is it honestly so hard to conceive?"

"In a word, yes," Ed answered before he and Al burst out laughing. Once he'd caught his breath, Ed explained to Al.

"He may be a prince but he'll never by emperor, he's like two hundredth in line or something."

"Twelfth actually and I will be emperor one day, that's why I'm here getting connections in Amestris. Of course my little sister had to follow. She's from a different clan see, actually last in the line. I'm looking after her to get favour too."

Al slumped in his seat and laid his head on the table.

"You people are crazy," he mumbled.

"Don't worry Al, you've got me," Winry supplied cheerfully, scowling when Ed snorted.

"Oh yeah, the wrench wielding mechanic who always checks the automail first if her boyfriend gets injured."

"Do you think I don't have a wrench in my bag, alchemy boy," Winry replied with a thinly-veiled threat. Al sat up again at the word alchemy.

"You're an alchemist?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, why?" Ed replied.

"Me too, I'm not great though, I haven't got a teacher. I learnt some stuff from library books but that's it."

"Maybe Ed could teach you, he's meant to be a real genius," Winry told Al. "Or if he's too stubborn to teach you Roy's also an alchemist," she added.

"Really? Cool," Al replied.

"Don't ask him to teach you, it's not worth it," Ed cut in stubbornly, his didn't meet Al's eyes instead looking at the table.

"Why isn't he that good?" Al asked.

"Ed doesn't approve of his type of alchemy," Winry informed him.

"Of course not, alchemy is meant to be used to help people right?" Ed looked at Al, who nodded quickly at him agreeing whole-heartedly with that statement. "Well that bastard's alchemy doesn't help anyone, it's just a weapon, that's all it is and he'll regret it when he hurts or even kills someone with it one day." Ed was panted slightly after his rant; fists clenched looking for all the world like he wanted to kill someone himself, probably Roy.

"He specialises in manipulating fire," Ed added, seeing Al's startled and confused face.

Winry and Ling quickly changed to conversation and Ed deflated slightly, slumping down and grabbing his book. Al bit his lip, he really wanted to discuss alchemy but he didn't want to bring that volatile temper back up. Sighing Al joined Winry and Ling's discussion about a popular TV show.

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><p>Al hurried through the corridors trying to remember his way back to where he was meeting his friends for lunch. He exited the building and rounded a corner. There was a corner of a field created by a wing of the school stretching out a right angle. Sitting in the corner were Ed and Winry, leaning on different walls. Ed's legs were stretched out over Winry's and his right hand was held up by her left, while she manipulated his metal digits. Ed was completely ignoring this, reading from his book which he held up in his left hand.<p>

Al couldn't help but stare, despite having felt the odd quality in Ed's hand the day before he hadn't realised Ed had the advanced automail prosthetics. Ed's blazer and hoodie lay discarded beside him and his shirt sleeve was rolled up to his elbow.

A hand grabbed Al's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly, making him jump.

"First time seeing automail?" Meas Hughes asked sympathetically. Al just nodded in answer, though questions were rapidly forming in his head. "That's Ed, one of a kind. He doesn't usually let people see it but I guess Winry wanted to check it." Hughes grinned at Al, who was frowning at him.

"The Rockbell's are one of the best automail makers around, Winry's a protégé, everything she works on is brilliant but that nothing compared to the care she puts into Ed's arm and leg."

"Leg?" Al asked weakly.

"Yep, his left leg, to the knee I think and his entire right arm. He lost them in some horrid accident when he was just a kid, as well as memories of before then. All he knew was his name was Edward, though he could've made it up. The authorities never found his parents. He was taken in by a couple who couldn't have children of their own. Ed's the son they could never have." Hughes was looking fondly at the couple, still oblivious to their presence. Ed finished his page and tried to get his right hand back to turn the page, without looking Winry flipped the page for him and he held the book back up and small grin gracing his face.

"Roy's fostered by the same people, his parents were-" but Hughes was interrupted. The voice making Al start guiltily, though he'd been doing nothing wrong.

"Shut up Hughes, I don't think Ed would appreciate you blabbing about his past and neither do I," Roy was glaring at Hughes, who merely shrugged it off as if he was used to such looks. Al was slightly shocked, every time he met Roy previously he'd been open and friendly, now he looked angry and Al thought back to Ed's words about him hurting someone with alchemy.

"Oh come on, the poor kid would never learn anything if we waited for you two to tell him," Hughes said.

"Don't you think that's our prerogative," Roy replied.

"Hey Al, why you hanging out with those losers," Ed called finally noticing the other three. His shirt sleeve was rolled back down and he'd put his glove back on. Al jumped at the chance to get out of the way of the steely tensions coming from Mustang. With a quick wave he ran over to the other two.

Roy turned on his heel and walked away, Meas ran to catch up.

"Hey wait Roy, calm down."

"Do you always have to poke your nose in everywhere Meas," Roy asked stopping and rounding on Hughes. Meas raised an eyebrow at Roy as he answered.

"Kinda yeah,"

"Oh go find Gracia or something," Roy bit out, exasperated.

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><p>"What's up with you," Riza Hawkeye asked as Roy slumped down in the seat next to hers.<p>

"That damn Hughes," Roy hissed back. Riza raised an eyebrow at him. Roy only ever complained about two people to her; she was beginning to think of it as a sign of affection.

"What did he do now?"

"He's blabbing about mine and Ed's past to that new kid."

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean is that all? He has no right to tell my secrets to a kid we've known for a day."

"Secret? Roy your past is no more a secret than your love life," Riza answered back.

Roy groaned again and slumped further in his seat not liking the fact his love life was brought up. He had a long string of girlfriends behind him and many more girls hoping they'd be on his arm at whatever social was coming up but he never stayed with any of them. All those girls had the same problem, they weren't Riza Hawkeye. The one girl in the school he wanted but was afraid to ask out. When you're sure of always having a date the possibility of being rejected is more than just daunting, it's downright terrifying. So he kept his feelings inside, not telling anyone.

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><p>Setting foot outside the jail for the first time in five years was brilliant, being able to hold his wife in his arms again was even better.<p>

"I'm going to make everything up to you two babe," he whispered in her ear, referring to her and their son. "I got my anger under control and we're gonna be a proper family now. Where's my boy?"

The woman looked down, sadly.

"I don't know," she answered, "they took him away. Told me I weren't fit to raise him. Like they know, I'm his mother. Now they won't tell me where he is. They say I can visit if he wants me too but he doesn't."

"Don't listen to those bastards, they probably never even asked the kid."

"I miss him, my little Roy," the woman sobbed into her husband's arms.

* * *

><p>Trisha Elric gently ruffled her son's hair, reaching up to do so. "Have a good day sweetie,"<p>

"Yeah actually I did," Al replied with a grin, before launching in to stories of the friends he'd made that day. "Oh and Edward's an alchemist too," he finished enthusiastically.

"Really that's nice," Trisha replied, hugging her son, genuinely happy he'd made new friends. She'd been worried when she'd moved them but Al was bright and if he had the opportunity to go to such a good school she was going to let him go.

Al hadn't missed the small look of pain that had crossed his mothers face when he'd first mentioned Edward. He didn't mention Edward's appearance, or his past. He frowned at the picture of his brother that hung on the wall. True the Edward he knew know was blonde and had those rare golden coloured eyes and maybe he didn't know his parents but they could all just be coincidence. Al was unsure what to do, there was a small possibility that this boy was his long lost brother but Ed's story didn't quite match up to Al's brother's. If Edward Curtis really was Edward Elric then what had happened to their father. Al needed proof but he was clueless on how to get it.

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><p>The car doors slammed shut as Ed and Roy both got out of the old beater, now parked outside their house. The two boys walked to the front door, bickering as usual, unaware of they were being watched by two sets of eyes. A camera clicked capturing a shot of Roy grinning because he'd managed to duck a swing from a furious Ed.<p>

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><p><em>Well hello plot! Please review you know I love 'em.<em>


	3. Flames

_Hurray! The chapter is on time. Time is flying by at the moment. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter._

_Enjoy!_

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><p><span>Chapter Three: Flames <span>

"So are you a scholarship student too, Roy?" Al asked. It was a week since he'd started school and he was getting used to the new routine. Today it had only been Ed, Roy and himself in the car on the way home. He was exhausted, having so much make-up work to do, the downside of starting a new school mid-term.

"No, why'd you ask?" Roy answered, eyes fixed firmly on the road.

"Just curious, I mean if you and Ed are fostered by the same people then."

"How do you that?" Ed cut him off, a frown creasing his brow as he glared daggers a Roy, assuming him to be the culprit. Al bit his lip realising, belatedly, that that was a silly subject to bring up.

"Don't look at me, do you think I want to fill him in on my sordid past?" Roy defended, before giving an impatient sigh. "It was Hughes, I caught him filling in the kid on us the day after we met him."

"And you didn't think I should know?"

"No, I figured you'd get angry and oh look I was right."

"Smug git."

"Angry shrimp."

"What was that?"

"You heard."

"I'm going to beat your pompous ass in to a pulp."

"Sure you will Shorty."

"Bastard."

"Hey," Al yelled to get the two bickering boys' attention. They both looked at him, although while Ed stared at him Roy merely gave him a glance in the rear view mirror. "I'm sorry," Al added quieter.

"What for?" Ed asked.

"For bringing up your past."

"Oh well, it's not your fault you know and you weren't to know it was a touchy subject. Although to be honest I'm not bothered that you know. He might be though," Ed replied, jerking his thumb at Roy.

"That's ok, all I know about Roy is that he's fostered," Al answered. "But I am sorry about your parents, whatever happened to them."

"Don't be, they're still alive. I think. I don't really care anyway. I don't need pity, neither of us does," Roy answered, that cold hard anger Al had seen before coming back into his voice.

"Okay, I get it though. I mean my past isn't so rosy. I should tell you, equivalent exchange right," Al gave a small grin.

"You don't have to," Ed answered.

"No I want to. It's just been me and my Mum since I can remember. When I was really little something happened, we had to leave our home. My Dad took my older brother and my Mum took me. We were meant to meet up I think but my Dad never did.

"I couldn't figure it out when I was a kid; I thought my Dad had just decided he liked my brother better. It was sad but once I realised the truth I felt better. I can't really miss what I don't remember. There are times I wish I had a Dad or an older brother, like when Kimblee was beating me up, but mostly I'm just happy I still have my Mum."

"Yeah you should appreciate what you've got. You know we're lucky we have Izumi and Sig to look after us; they're good people you know. They're pretty much my parents," Ed said.

Roy pulled to a stop outside Alphonse's house. "Sorry for snapping at you, kid," he said as Alphonse go out the car.

"Sorry for prying," Al replied, nervously eyeing his mother's car in the drive. "Looks like my mum's back from the hospital," he added.

"Is she ok?" Ed asked concerned.

"She's a nurse, she works at the hospital," Al explained, laughing slightly at Ed. I'll see you tomorrow. He called over his shoulder as he jogged up the drive. He turned to wave briefly as Roy pulled away.

"What's got into you, Mr Privacy?" Roy asked Ed as he drove towards their home.

"What?"

"Come on it takes forever for anyone to earn your trust and most your friends have had to force themselves on you. So what's different about this kid, why are you opening up to him so much?"

Ed gave Roy a week glare before sighing and deciding to answer truthfully. "I don't know. I just know I can trust him. You'll laugh but I feel like I have a connection to him."

Roy merely raised an eyebrow at him but let the conversation die.

As they approached their house they noticed a familiar car parked out front.

"Uh-oh, social worker alert," Roy muttered, pulling up into the drive way.

"Man what did we do now?" Ed asked.

Getting out they both entered the house with a slight feeling of trepidation. This was an unscheduled visit from their social worker, they happened to share one, and that meant it wasn't likely to be good news.

"Boys, come here," Izumi called from the kitchen as soon as she heard them come through the front door. Dropping their bags and kicking off their shoes the two boys walked into the kitchen where Izumi sat with Jane, the social worker.

"Hello you two," she greeted. "How are you?"

"Fine thank you," Roy answered, while Ed just nodded his agreement. Both boys pulled off their blazers and ties. Roy's being hooked neatly round a chair while Ed's where just dumped onto the seat of the chair next to the one he sat down in.

"So what's going on?" he asked.

"Actually I am only here to talk to Roy at the moment," she replied.

"In other words you want me to leave?"

"What's the point he'll find out anyway," Roy replied, knowing full well Ed would eavesdrop the conversation if he was sent away, Roy knew he did that because he did it too when Ed had a private conversation with Jane.

"Very well," Jane said, taking a breath to carry on, "Roy, your father has been released from prison." She carefully observed his reaction.

Roy froze, he'd been dreading those words for five years. He'd already refused visitations from his mother. Although she'd never hit him she had sat back at let his father so Roy held her just as responsible for all the hurt. A hot cup of coffee was placed in front of him and he grabbed hold of it, clinging to the hot mug like a lifeline. Ed shifted in his seat next to Roy and Roy noticed his hands were clenched into fists.

For all their fighting and bickering this was something they would always have a united front on. Although Ed did not remember his parents he held them responsible for his missing limbs. He'd also been found with other injuries that indicated he'd been manhandled.

"Roy?" Jane asked concerned for the young man. Roy shook himself slightly and looked up at her.

"What does that mean for me?" he asked in return.

"Nothing really, we had to inform you but nothing will change. We won't tell him where you are and he isn't allowed to see you. Your mother is still asking to see you but I assume the answer is still the same."

"Of course it is I don't need them. I don't want to see them again." Roy said firmly, gripping the mug harder.

"Then that's how it'll stay," Jane replied firmly before patting Roy's wrist and making ready to leave.

As Ed and Roy stood in the doorway waving her off Ed spoke quietly.

"You don't have to be worried you know. If the son of a bitch ever did turn up you could probably take him out on your own but with us together he has no chance."

"Thanks," was all Roy said in reply. It was very rare for Ed to speak his support out loud and Roy respected that, knowing it wasn't the time for smart come backs.

"Come you two, do your homework before dinner," Izumi said from behind them, dragging the boys back to the mundane task of studies.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello Edward, you're going to come live with us now. I'm Izumi and this is my husband Sig. We'll look after you now, ok. We'll get you a new arm and leg if you want and I can teach you alchemy of you like."<em>

_Edward blinked large amber eyes at Izumi, he'd woken in this bed, in this strange place with so much noise that was strangely hushed. He didn't like the feeling it gave him. He wanted to leave, and like a newborn child opening its eyes to see its mother he had opened his eyes to see this woman who said nice things in a kind voice._

"_Achemy?" he asked, the idea excited him for some unknown reason but when has reason been important to a four year old._

"_It's alchemy, dear, not achemy," Izumi said with a smile. Ed nodded like she's said the most profound thing ever to him. He pointed at her._

"_Zummy?" he said, frowning when he realised he had said it wrong._

"_I-zu-mi," she said, pronouncing it slowly for him._

"_I-zummy," Ed tried again, pronouncing the 'I' as if it was a different word._

"_Not quite sweetheart, why don't you call me something else. What do you want to call me?"_

_Edward thought for a moment. "You teach me achemy, al-chemy?" he fumbled once again over pronunciation, a frown forming on his young features as if this fact truly frustrated him. _

"_Yes."_

"_So you teacher. I call you Teacher," he finished as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

"_Ok." Izumi agreed, quite liking it. Ed then focused on the massive form of Sig, pointing at him he said, "Sig." Izumi laughed, while Sig smiled at her as if it was a triumph for him the boy could pronounce his name first try._

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" John Mustang demanded glaring fiercely at his elder sister, having just burst into her bar in a sleazy part of Central.<p>

"Who?" she asked mildly, serving another customer.

"You know who, Roy, my son," he growled.

"Oh why, do you want to put him in the hospital again?" her pretence at niceness gone, now she was showing her anger.

"Look Chris, I want to make amends, I want to say sorry I want us to be a family again," John tried pleading.

"Yeah well I think it's too late for that. That boy finally has a good family so you leave him alone."

"Damn it, he's my son. If I met the bastards who are turning him against me I'll kill them."

Chris Mustang laughed at him, "You should have treated him like your son for the first twelve years of his life. Also know this, if you ever even managed to find him, the couple fostering him would tear you apart before you could so much as put a hair on his head out of place. On top of that the boy is a pretty decent fighter and alchemist now. The only person who turned him against you was yourself every time you punched or kicked that boy.

"Get out, you're not welcome in my establishment anymore, nor are you welcome in my family, don't try to have contact with me or my nephew ever again." With that Chris Mustang, known as Madame Christmas to her patrons, gestured to a burly man who manhandled her disowned brother out of the door.

John angrily kicked at empty beer can across the pavement. He was so caught up in his anger he didn't notice the car that pulled to a stop slightly in front of him until the door opened and he was dragged inside. A large muscular man, with a terrifying face had a strong grip on him and no matter how much he struggled he couldn't get free.

"Quit it, you're not in danger," a voice spoke from the front of the car. It was hard to tell whether the voice was male or female and in the dark it was hard to make out the figure.

"We have a job proposition for you," another voice spoke, this speaker was clearly female.

"I don't need a job," John hissed back, "who are you?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter but really you should at least hear us out before turning the offer down," the female replied.

"But I can turn it down if I want?" John asked.

"Of course, you won't though." Again it was the woman that replied.

"We want you to get something for us, well someone actually," this time mysterious figure spoke.

"Kidnap? I don't do kidnap," John replied.

"Oh? Really, it's just a couple of kids, we want one and you can keep the other, that's your payment." A picture was passed to John who was released by the burly guy. The man flicked on a torch so John could see the photograph properly.

It showed to boys, young men really, probably close in age. The smaller one was blonde, his long hair tied back in a braid and he was scowling at the other boy. John barely gave him a glance his eyes drawn to the taller of the two boys, he was grinning smugly, his short black hair tousled artfully and his pale skin and dark eyes, all so much like John's own. The image of his twelve year old son corrected it's self to the seventeen year old that was in the photo. The woman had been right; he was going to except this job. He'd get his son back and punish the people who'd taken him away by taking their own son.

* * *

><p>Al frowned at the meat in the shop window. It was Saturday afternoon and Al was trying to buy something to cook for dinner that night. He decided on getting a couple of sausages because he couldn't be bothered to do anything fancy just for himself since his mother was working that evening. The bell above the door rang as he entered.<p>

Just as Al was passing money over the counter the bell rang again.

"Hey Mason, Izumi says you should come to dinner with us tonight," a familiar voice called.

"Sure thing, sounds good," Mason replied, passing change and a receipt back to Al.

"Oh hey Al," Ed said, realising who the customer was.

"Hi," Al cheerfully said.

"That's not much," Ed commented pointing to the small paper wrapped bundle Al was holding.

"Oh well, it's just me tonight."

"Why don't you come to dinner with us too?" Ed asked as the idea struck him.

"Really won't your foster mother mind?"

"No of course not, hang on a sec." Ed dived behind the counter and got some blank receipt paper. He quickly wrote down his address and a rough map from Al's house to his. He paused for a second and quickly wrote down a number.

"Here you go, that's my mobile number, call me if you get lost ok? Be there around 6:30."

"Ok, thanks," Al replied, happy to be invited to Ed's, he hated eating by himself.

Later that day Alphonse found himself knocking on the pale blue door, nervously wondering what Ed and Roy's foster family were like. The door was answered by a large imposing man and Al almost stepped back but held his ground.

"Alphonse?" the man asked.

"Yeah."

"Come in, Edward and Roy are in the backyard, follow me."

Al was led into the kitchen which was full of wonderful smells. A slim woman stood at the stove stirring a pot, her dark hair was in tight braids and pulled back away from her face except for a few strands which fell forward.

"Izumi, this is Alphonse," the man said to her. She turned around with a smile and came forward to meet him.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Izumi, this is my husband Sig," she said gesturing to the man who'd opened the door. "Ed and Roy are through there." She pointed at the back door.

"Thank you ma'am," Al replied, moving towards the door out to the yard. Opening the door he saw the two older boys sparring.

Al leant against the wall and watched them, neither seemed to be able to land a hit on the other. Despite the fact Ed's attacks were fast, Roy was dodging them unable to strike back as Ed never let up his advance. Roy's back hit the wall and Ed's arm snapped out pressing his hand lightly on Roy's throat the same time Roy got an equally light grip on Ed's own.

"Truce," Ed called.

"Nope," Roy replied, using his longer arms to his advantage as he stretched his arm, forcing Ed to step back. An automail hand closed tightly around Roy's wrist. Snarling Roy flung them to the floor using his weight to trap Ed. Light burst around them as they hit the ground, as it faded away from them Al could see the ground had wrapped it's self around Roy's ankles.

"Should have called truce when you had the chance," Ed said smugly, slipping out from underneath Roy who as struggling to break free.

"Not done yet," Roy growled, snapping his fingers, fire flared up in a barrier around Ed.

Al's eyes widened in the display of power shown before him it was magnificent and scary all at once. Suddenly a cry pierced the air and Roy quickly stopped feeding oxygen to the flames but starved them, quickly making the fire go out.

As the smoke cleared Al dashed forward to Ed who was kneeling on the floor cradling his left arm, the bottom part of his once long sleeve was completely burnt away the flesh underneath was red and blistered.

"Ed?" Al asked weakly, shocked by the sight in front of him. Ed ignored him, instead snarling and turning to Roy, whose ankles were still trapped.

"You bastard!" he yelled swinging his automail hand punching Roy hard in the face as the back door flung open.

"What is this?" Izumi yelled, taking in the sight of Ed's burnt arm and Roy's bloody nose. "What the hell happened?" she asked pulling Ed to his feet. "Inside now," she ordered, moving to pull Roy to his feet next, seeing the bindings she quickly clapped and removed them. She supported Roy inside, as they followed Ed and Al.

Izumi pushed a box of tissues towards Roy, who quickly began wadding them under his nose, leaning forward. Gently holding an un-burnt part of Ed's hand Izumi lifted his arm, inspecting the injury. "We need to get you too hospital," she said before turning to Roy, "you too." Lastly she turned to Alphonse. "I'm sorry about this dinner will have to wait."

"That's ok; can I come with them too?" Al asked, wanting to know if they'd both been ok.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for reading, please review.<em>


	4. Mother

_I know I missed a week, I'm sorry! I had my final exam for my hardest module this year. It was a horrid test! So I've been busy studying. I forgot to pre-warn you on the last chapter. Now this is out a little early partly to make up for the lost week and partly because I'm going to the London MCM expo tomorrow! I'm quite excited. _

_Anyway, please read and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Four: Mother<span>

The car ride was tense. Izumi was driving, Roy sitting in the passenger seat next to her still holding a wad of tissues to his nose. Al sat in the back with Ed.

"What the hell happened?" Izumi asked in her no nonsense tone of voice.

"That bastard burnt me," Ed snapped.

"Not on purpose," Roy countered somewhat nasally through the bloody tissue, "I think you broke my nose, why'd you use your right arm?"

"Because you burnt my left you dumbass,"

"Roy don't say a word," Izumi said angrily, "Ed how did you get burned?"

"We were sparring, this genius thought it'd be a great idea to trap me in a ring of fire, my sleeve caught alight."

"Roy do you agree with the story?" Izumi asked him, Roy nodded slowly, wincing when it caused him to press too hard on his injured nose.

"You two know you aren't meant to use alchemy in a spar when I'm not there. When I get you two home you'll be sorry you ever learnt alchemy." Both Ed and Roy paled at her words, even Al, who wasn't being threatened, felt nervous.

Izumi pulled in to the car park at the hospital and gave the boys a stern look that told them to 'behave or else'. After what felt like forever waiting both Ed and Roy were called up to see nurses. Izumi accompanied Ed, so Al followed Roy.

A young blonde nurses entered the curtained off section they were in.

"Roy Mustang? Hello, I'm Julie, let's have a look at you then," she said cheerfully. She carefully cleaned away dried blood and was rather pleased to note his nose had stopped bleeding. "Well you'll be glad to know your nose isn't broken. However, it is bruised and will probably be tender for a couple of days; you'll probably have a black eye as well." As she finished speaking the curtain opened to admit Izumi.

"Hello I'm his legal guardian, Izumi Curtis," she introduced herself to the nurse. Quickly the nurse repeated her prognosis and told Izumi he could leave.

Just then a crash was heard followed shortly after by a shout.

"No way!" Al, Roy and Izumi all froze for a second recognising the voice. As one they all dashed towards Ed.

* * *

><p>A doctor checked Ed's arm and proclaimed the burns weren't very bad. "They'll probably heal up with little or no scarring; you should thank whoever put the fire out so quickly." Ed just snorted in reply. "I'll get a nurse to clean and dress the wound," the doctor finished before taking his leave.<p>

"I'm going to check on Roy," Izumi said leaving Ed alone. A nurse walked in with a tray.  
>She had a kind face and Ed felt instantly comforted by her. She looked up at him with a smile. As she looked at him her smile faded, her features taking on a look of shock.<p>

"E...Edward?" she asked.

"Yeah?" Ed replied trying to puzzle out her reaction.

"My son, my Edward?" the nurse said dropping the tray, it landed with a clatter but she ignored it, instead staring at the teenager that looked so much like his father.

"W-what?" Ed stammered, trying to make sense of what this woman was saying. He couldn't be her son, he just couldn't.

"Edward," the nurse repeated again, this time she moved forward. She stepped over the fallen tray, not taking her eyes off Edward, she held her arms out as if she were going to wrap them around him.

"No way," Ed shouted sliding off the opposite side of the bed. "Don't touch me," he shouted again, anger filling his voice. Trisha stopped, pulling her arms close to her, cradling her chest. She looked hurt, like she was about to cry but Ed wasn't going to feel sorry.

"Don't look like that you abandoned me to die."

"No, no I didn't. I don't know what happened, I tried to find you I swear. You're my son, I love you."

"Love me?" The curtain was torn back by Izumi as Edward spoke. "If you loved me then why the hell was I left to die by the side of a railway after losing two limbs?" Ed held up his automail fist to illustrate his point.

Tears started to properly fall from Trisha's eyes as she looked at the metal gleaming under the hospital lights. She watched as a woman she didn't know put her arms around her eldest son. He seemed to instantly calm at her touch and words and the sight made Trisha's heart break. Arms suddenly wrapped around her and she was guided to turn around and sit on the vacated bed.

"Mom?" she looked up to see it was her youngest son who was holding her. She was confused, she didn't understand why he was here.

Al turned around keeping one hand on his mother's shoulder. He fixed Ed with a stern glare.

"You happy now? You're such an idiot, jumping to your own stupid conclusions to things when you don't even know the whole story."

Ed's eyes were wide as he stared at Al, the story of his missing father and brother coming to his mind. "Oh," was all Ed said as he scrubbed his face with his automail hand before slumping to the floor. Trisha wiped her eyes and waved off the other nurses and doctors who'd come to see about the commotion. "Can you get me another tray," she asked one nurse, gesturing to the items scattered on the floor. Turning round she surveyed the scene. Edward was sitting hunched over the floor, the woman crouched beside him. Alphonse had walked around the bed and was standing over the pair but an older boy had his arm held out just in front of Al.

"Alphonse, hunny maybe you should go get a coffee," she said moving over to him and rubbing his shoulder.

"Come on Al, I could do with one too let's go," the dark-haired boy said guiding him out. Trisha crouched in front of Ed.

"Your arm needs seeing too, I can get another nurse if you want?"

"No," he lifted his head to look at her. "I'm sorry, it's just... I."

"It's ok, this must be hard for you."

Ed sat on the bed and allowed Trisha to clean and dress his wound. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "Al was right. I am an idiot; I shouldn't have said those things to you."

"You were just a little child when I lost you, I can't expect you to remember what happened."

"I don't remember anything. My memories start waking up in a hospital bed and seeing Izumi," he gestured with his automail hand towards where Izumi stood. "But Al already told me what happened to his Dad and brother err... me."

"So you don't know where your father is?" Trisha asked trying to keep the hope from rising. Ed just shook his head.

"I can't tell you what happened to your husband Mrs Elric," Izumi said reading Trisha's name off her tag. "But when we found Edward he was half dead, the doctors said it was miracle he survived. Aside from the missing limbs, which we assume were caused by a train, he had bruises the suggested he'd been forcefully held." Trisha froze having finished with Ed's arm. Gently she reached over lifted his metal arm. Holding it to her face, tears fell again.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Feeling awkward, Ed gentle pulled his hand back and used it to brush her tears away.

"I'm here, aren't I? I'm alive, it's ok."

"But this," Trisha gestured to his metal hand.

"This? It's not all bad. Without this I might never have met my girlfriend, she's my mechanic, she built this." Trisha smiled weakly at him. "So what happens now?" Ed asked.

"You come home with me until Trisha can prove she is your mother," Izumi answered Ed before turning to Trisha. "I'm sorry but I need to know you really are his mother before this can carry on, I won't see him hurt again."

"Of course, I understand, we can do a DNA test. I'm glad someone good has been looking after him."

"He's a good kid, for the most part," Izumi told Trisha before both women laughed at Ed's indignant reply.

"What's that supposed to mean."

* * *

><p>"This is so awkward," Ed complained, slumping down in the front seat of Roy's beater.<p>

"Well it's your fault; you should have spoken to him before now," Roy answered sounding his car horn to alert Al they were waiting.

"It was like two days ago and it wouldn't have been any less awkward."

"You keep telling yourself that Ed, I swear you can be so delusional sometimes."

"I swear you can be such an ass sometimes, sorry I mean all the time."

The pair was so busy bickering they didn't even notice Al had left the house until he opened the back door.

"Hi," he said sheepishly, clearly feeling as awkward as Ed did. He waved to his mother who was standing in the doorway. Catching the movement Ed looked towards the woman, he raised one had slowly a half smile crossing his face before Roy drove them out of site.

"How's your arm Ed," Al said after they had sat in silence for half the journey.

"Better," Ed answered. When Al realised no more conversation was coming from him he tried Roy.

"And your nose Roy?"

"Painful," Roy answered before carrying on, "and if anyone asks the story is that I got punched saving an old lady from a mugger."

"Ok...erm, why?" Al asked, latching on to the conversation.

"Because saying Ed punched me will not go down as well with the ladies."

"Drop the plural Mustang, you want to get the attention of one girl and she is not going to fall for your bullshit, as soon as she knows I was burnt she going to realise what happened. You're such an idiot. You'll never get Riza like that," Ed informed him.

"What? What makes you think I like Riza?" Roy asked, looking over at Ed.

"Watch the damn road before you kill us all," Ed snapped, before answering Roy's question once he was watching the road again. "You are so obvious and you don't even realise it. It's actually quite funny, Roy Mustang ladies man completely hung up on his best friend and too scared to do anything about it."

"You are so full of yourself Curtis." By this time Roy had pulled into the car park and they were getting out the car. Al disappeared with a 'see you later' and Ed started to hurry off in the opposite direction. Roy locked his car and followed Ed catching him easily with his longer stride. "Wimp," he muttered as he strode past Ed.

* * *

><p>Roy's words had their desired effect on Ed and he spent the entire first and second periods trying to work out how the conversation with his newly discovered brother would go. He practically ran out the room when the bell rang, heading for their usual spot but all through break Al never showed. By the time he entered his third class that day he was in a bad mood, thumping his satchel down on the desk in a clear warning that anyone who spoke to him would not survive. Of course Ling, as ever, was purposefully blind towards the warning and was quite happy to chatter away to Ed for the entire class. When they left Ed thumped him hard on the arm and walked off.<p>

"You just going to let him get away with that," Ling asked the girl who'd appeared by his side.

"With all due respect young lord, you probably deserved it," she replied. Ling shrugged and smiled at her.

Lan Fan was another of the Xingnese transfer students in the academy, she was also Ling's body guard, not that anyone here knew that. Although Ling had a feeling Ed had guessed the fact.

As Ed walked down the main corridor he saw the person he was looking for. Al was talking to a girl by the lockers. When he looked closer he realised it was actually Ling's younger sister Mei he was talking too. That girl had some strange dislike for Ed and judging by the way she was looking at Al she wasn't going to appreciate him being stolen. Still what Ed had to say was much more important the some useless flirting.

Ed strode up to the pair and grabbed Al's arm.

"We need to talk," he said before dragging Al away. Al tried to struggle but once he realised Ed was holding him with his automail hand gave up, knowing he'd never break free. Finding a deserted corner of the courtyard, Ed made sure Al was cornered before releasing him.

"You're mad at me," Ed stated but Al shook his head.

"No I'm not."

"Then what's your problem?" Ed asked.

"What's yours?" Al countered, "You should be happy, you found your family again, shouldn't you be trying to get to know me and Mum? Instead you just disappear and we hear nothing from you all weekend. Mum's being all understanding because that's who she is but I don't understand Ed, I really don't." There was a pause before Ed answered.

"How long have you been waiting for me?"

"Since you left," Al answered straight away.

"I didn't know I had a brother, I have no memory of anything before I woke up in a hospital bed with two stumps. You say I found my family but you don't realise I have a family already, ok maybe I don't share my DNA with them but Izumi and Sig are my parents, I already have parents."

"and a brother," Al said sadly but Ed shook his head.

"Not in the way you think. You are my brother Al. Maybe it'll take some time to get used to that fact but you are. Roy isn't, he never has been. Yes I've lived with him for five years but he has never been like a brother too me."

"Why not?" Al asked, curious. He was seeing the situation from Ed's view and feeling like a jerk. He sat down and Ed followed suit.

"Honestly, I'm jealous of him."

"Why?"

"Because he looks like he could be their son. A little after Roy came to live with us we went out and met this old school friend of Izumi's who she hadn't seen in years. She looked at Roy and she started telling Izumi what a wonderful son she had, she looked at me and just said 'you must be his friend'. I hated him so much right then, it wasn't fair I'd been with Izumi since I was a little kid, no one ever thought I was her son. Trouble follows me round like a puppy, I don't mean to get into half the fights I do, it just happens, ever since I was a kid. I was always classed as the trouble maker in school and it must have been hard on Izumi and Sig, then Roy waltzes in and suddenly they have the perfect son. I was so scared they'd get rid of me."

"Is that why you two fight all the time?"

"At first yes, after that incident with Izumi's friend I got into my first fist fight with him. He didn't even fight back. Of course at the time I had no idea his Dad had beaten him." Al gasped in shock at Ed's words and Ed cringed slightly realising he'd just spilled Roy's past.

"You didn't know that did you?" he asked, in the hope that Al had heard it from someone else first but Al shook his head no.

"Just pretend you don't know. He'd spent his whole life trying to be perfect but his Dad still hit him anyway. When I went off at him he just curled up and waited for me to stop. But I didn't, I just kept going, I was yelling at him too, saying I hated him and I wished he'd never come to live with us. I was so horrible to him and he just took it without a word."

* * *

><p>"<em>Go away, leave us alone. We don't need you. I hate you, I hate you." Ed screamed, pounding fists in to the boy in front of him. Suddenly strong arms were lifting him away and holding him tightly. Ed struggled, pounding his fists into Sig's broad chest but it didn't work. Giving up Ed glared daggers at Roy who was now being cradled by Izumi, she brushed his hair back and gently rocked him.<em>

"_What on earth were you thinking Edward," she snapped at him. Ed scowled feeling like the whole world was turning against him. He felt Sig's grip on him loosen. _

"_You happy now, you win, you've stolen my family," Ed yelled at Roy who's eyes widen in surprise as he watched the blond run from the room._

_Ed locked himself in the bathroom for hours. Izumi and Sig both tried to talk to him but Ed wouldn't listen, eventually they gave up and left him, knowing he'd have to come out eventually. After what felt like forever to Ed a small timid knock sounded on the door._

"_I'm sorry," Roy's voice filtered through the wood. "I'm going now, bye." _

_By the time Ed had got the bathroom door open Roy had already disappeared into their room. Hearing the voice of his social worker downstairs he crept down to hear what was being said._

"_Are you sure about this?" Jane asked._

"_Yes, I never realised how badly Ed would react. I know this seems harsh and I do feel bad for Roy but I've never seen Ed go off like that before. I mean sure he's been in scraps but never like that. Roy's a good boy, someone will take him surely," Izumi replied._

"_Honestly, Izumi, I don't know that anyone will. When people want to foster a child they generally look for the younger ones, a teenager boy isn't most people's ideal. You add his history to that and you've got people worrying about his mental stability. To be honest I think the boy doesn't know fun is and I'd hoped Edward would teach him and maybe he'd calm Edward down some. I didn't think he'd be so threatened by Roy."_

"_Yes, I guess this has showed me that Ed is still insecure, he doesn't realise we love him unconditionally as our own son. I wish we could help with Roy but I have to think of Edward first."_

"_I understand." _

"_Like I said, I'm going. I never wanted to steal your family. I'm not their son, you are." Ed whipped round as he heard Roy's voice next to him. Roy looked so sad standing there with his packed suitcase. It was pathetically small. Ed bit his lips._

"_You didn't fight back, why?" Ed asked._

"_Because I learnt long ago it'd be over sooner if I didn't fight back."_

"_Who taught you that?"_

"_My father, he hit me when I was bad, apparently it's wrong to do that."_

"_Of course it is, numbskull, when someone hits you hit them right back."_

"_You wanted me to hit you back?"_

"_Yes, that wasn't a fair fight."_

"_It doesn't matter, you were wrong, I lost, you won. You'd won from the start. Good bye."_

"_No, damn it," Ed cursed, "this is my fault." Ed darted forward and snatched Roy's suitcase from his hand._

"_Hey give that back, you want my stuff now?"_

"_No you dimwit," Ed shouted undoing the zippers and tipping the contents onto the floor._

"_Stop it," Roy cried, lunging forward to grapple the suitcase out of Ed's hands. _

_Izumi and Jane came out into the corridor to see what the ruckus was to find Ed and Roy having a tug of war over the suitcase, standing on the clothing that was scattered on the floor._

"_What are you two boys doing?" Izumi asked, her voice firm. Startled both boys stopped, Roy dropped the suitcase and stepped back, looking down at his feet._

"_Sorry," was all he said. Ed rolled his eyes at him and dropped his end of the suitcase so it fell on the pile of Roy's clothes. _

"_It's not fair," Ed proclaimed loudly. Izumi raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "I was the one who was bad, why is he being punished?"_

"_He isn't being punished Edward, he's just going to go to a more suitable home."_

"_No he isn't, she said no one was going to take him."_

"_Edward were you eaves dropping?"_

"_Yes and I'm sorry I was bad, I'm sorry I thought you were replacing me but now I know you're not so it's fine right, he doesn't have to leave."_

"_Edward, do you really think throwing his stuff everywhere was the best way to get your point across?" Izumi asked. Ed looked down at the clothes scattered on the floor before looking rather sheepishly at Izumi._

"_Sorry?" Izumi rolled her eyes at him before turning serious again._

"_Edward, if Roy stays today he stays for good ok, you don't get to change your mind later."_

"_He stays," Ed replied firmly. _

"_Ok then, come on you two pick these clothes up, you've trampled all over them. Let's get them in the washing machine." _

_After that was done and the boys were released to go do whatever little boys do in their free time Roy caught Ed's arm._

"_Why?" he asked._

"_Because it wasn't fair," Ed answered simply._

"_Thank you."_

* * *

><p>"I think I just annoyed him enough to make him fight back. We've been bickering ever since. Though physical violence is rare," Ed finished telling Al.<p>

"You're so dense," Al commented, carrying on when Ed raised an eyebrow at him in question. "He's is like a brother too you." Ed just answered with a groan.

A shadow fell across the pair making Ed look up ready to tell whoever it was to get lost. He scowled when he saw Kimblee and his goons standing over the pair.

"Well well if it isn't the trash in a nice little pile. What's say we do some cleaning boys," Kimblee said.

"Well as much as I'd like to help you with your community service I have much better things to be doing," Ed told him, standing up. Al stood too.

"Oh no, you're staying for this party, Curtis." Quickly Kimblee grabbed Ed's injured arm making Ed grit his teeth as pain flared up. He tried to take a swing with his automail but one of Kimblee's friends caught it and twisted it behind him, pulling on the connection. Together they flung Ed to the floor with enough force to send him skidding across the concrete. As Al lunged forward after him a solid punch landed in his stomach making him double over. Ed barely had time to curl into a protective ball before Kimblee and one of his friends were kicking Ed. They didn't give Ed a chance to fight back.

Kimblee was laughing when his arm was grabbed from behind and he was flung backwards. He staggered but kept his balance, turning towards whoever was dumb enough to stand in his way. He narrowed his eyes at who now stood between him and Edward.

"Roy Mustang, what the hell are you doing, you're one of us."

"No I'm not, I never was. Back off Kimblee," Roy growled. He could hear Ed scramble up as Kimblee's friends moved away to flank him.

"I don't get it why are you defending him. It's obvious he's the one that gave you that black eye and you used you're alchemy to get back at him."

"That's not what happened at all, I hurt him first, by accident and I am not going to stand by and let you use my mistake against him."

"I don't need your help, Mustang," Ed mumbled.

"Oh you can shut up," Roy answered him, not taking his eyes off Kimblee.

"Three on three, that makes it a fair fight," Kimblee said.

"Since when did you play fair, besides I think you need to recount," Roy answered and smirked at the bullies as they watched Havoc, Breda, Falman, Furery, Riza and Hughes all move forwards, from where they'd been standing behind Kimblee and his goons. "Run along Zolf."

After Kimblee was gone Ed turned on Roy.

"Really didn't need you butting in."

"Sure you didn't," Roy answered grabbing him in a head lock and rubbing his head.

"What I want to know is where all the teachers are," Riza said ignoring the two boys now wrestling.

"So finally we get to meet the elusive new kid, seriously Roy should have introduced you before," Havoc said throwing his arm around Al who was inundated with questions from Roy's friends acting like nothing bad had ever happened. Al was slightly overwhelmed.

* * *

><p><em>The entire flash back scene plus the bit of conversation about Ed and Roy before that kinda crept in there while I was writing. It wasn't planned at all, I hope it came out good. It is also insanely easy to forget Ed's surname is different in this story, I keep wanting to write Elric, at least he knows he is one now!<em>

_Hopefully the next chapter will be out on time next week! _


	5. In the Woods

_I am still here! Ok so I'm very sorry about the incredible delay I won't bore you with the long list of excuses, lets just say real life got in the way along with a rather large dose of writers block. _

_I lost track of this story and I'm still not happy with it. This chapter is rather short but it was that or wait who knows how much longer. It also has very little editing so please excuse mistakes._

_And last but not least, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter._

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><p><span>Chapter Five: In the Woods<span>

Outside of South City were some woods. A river had carved a gulley through the woods on its journey to the sea. On top of one of the cliffs was a hidden clearing, a small cabin stood to one side of the clearing.

There was a tradition that a few weekends a year Roy Mustang and his friends would go up to the cabin and campout there. For the last few times Roy had managed to bring Ed and his friends.

After all the drama Roy decided a trip to the cabin was need and it was also time to properly induct Alphonse in the tradition. So that was how the weekend after it was finally confirmed that Edward was in fact Trisha's son the friends found themselves sitting around the campfire in the clearing being told the startling news.

"So you and Al are actually long lost brothers?" Jean asked, one eyebrow raised, a cigarette hanging lopsidedly out of his mouth.

"Yes, for the millionth time, dumb ass," Ed replied grumpily.

"That seems... convenient, you know that Al just happened to transfer to our school," Havoc commented.

"No Jean, it's lucky," Riza answered.

"I think it's great," Winry said, hugging Ed's arm.

"Yeah, it is," he said with a small smile.

"So are you moving out of Izumi's?" Hughes asked.

"Not yet, I'm just going to visit and maybe stay the night occasionally until we all get used it. My name is changing though. I'm not Edward Curtis anymore, I'm Edward Elric."

"Actually sounds better," Ling said with a grin. Ed rolled his eyes at him. The group descended into silence as the news sunk in.

After a while Roy spoke. "Well I for one think this place is too quiet. This is a party guys lets have some noise." He turned the volume dial up on the ipod that was playing out some new dance tune.

The noise levels slowly rose, and everyone was distracted by Havoc trying to learn to dance from Ling. With everyone distracted Winry gently pulled Ed away from the group. They walked a little way into the woods.

Once they were far enough away to not be seen or heard, although the glow of the fire was still flickering softly around them, they stopped.

"Why did you drag me all the way out here?" Ed asked.

"Because I wanted to make sure you were ok with everything and you'd have blown it off in front of those guys."

"I am fine, really I am. I mean I wasn't for a bit and yeah it's sad that I'll have to leave Teacher's place eventually but it's not like I'll never see her or Sig again. I have a mother and a brother I never knew I had. I always assumed I was abandoned, we all did, to find out I have a mother who loves me and wants me is pretty great."

"You know I think that's the most I've ever heard you say in one go."

"What are you talking about, I'm hardly quiet."

"Yeah I wasn't counting the times you were yelling though."

"Whatever," Ed said pulling Winry towards him and kissing her.

"As sweet as all that was, I'm going to have to break up this little party." Neither recognised the voice. They froze as a figure stepped closer to them. There was just enough light to show the man hold up a gun and point it at Winry.

"Leave her alone," Ed hissed.

"You've been watching too many movies kid. Don't try anything heroic because you can't knock this gun out of my hand before I can shoot her."

"What do you want?" Ed asked.

"Two things. One, you and the other? Well, this little miss here is going to go get that for me."

"Or what?" Winry asked.

"Or I go introduce myself to your friends over there. It could get messy."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Simple, I want you to go get a boy called Roy Mustang. I want you to quietly get him to come out here and make sure no one follows ok?"

Winry looked at Ed who nodded slowly. Wheeling round Winry ran back to the others.

"Who are you?" Ed asked the stranger.

"Shut up," was the only answer he got.

As she neared the others Winry slowed her run, having tripped over in the dark once already. She paused, took a deep breath, then walked as calmly as she could towards the group. Luckily for her Roy was sitting at the edge of the group, like a sentry keeping watch.

She walked quietly up to him a whispered in his ear.

"Come with me and don't ask questions." Confused and curious Roy followed her retreating figure. Winry was trying very hard to keep from crying, the guilt for what she was leading Roy into was almost overwhelming.

Catching site of the two figures retreating into the forest, Maes couldn't help his natural curiosity so he crept unseen behind the pair.

As soon as Winry spotted Ed and the stranger, she turned to Roy.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered.

"For what, and who are you?" Roy said, addressing the last part to the shadowed figure standing next to Ed.

"I'm hurt Roy, it hasn't been that long." The voice made Roy freeze. He hadn't felt this fear in a long time.

"It hasn't been long enough," he answered back, after taking a breath and calling back his courage.

"I thought taught you not to answer back boy."

"You taught me a lot of things but I'm not scared of you anymore."

"Is he's your Father?" Ed asked.

"Biologically speaking yes," Roy answered.

"Shut up, both of you," John Mustang snapped.

In the silence that followed a twig snapped loudly nearby, before he even really knew what was happening John had pointed the gun in the direction of the noise and fired. A cry was heard that sent the three teens blood running cold.

"Maes!" Roy cried and tried to run to his best friend but John caught his arm.

"Don't you dare!" he hissed, then turned to Winry. "I thought I told you to not be followed."

Winry was frozen in place tears running down her cheeks. John let go of Roy and grabbed her, holding the gun to her head.

"Ok, you two in front, head down the hill and don't make a noise or try anything funny ok," he demanded. With glances behind them Roy and Ed walked away from their injured friend, both knowing Hughes would never forgive them for endangering Winry to save him.

At the bottom of a steep hill which they had stumbled down was the end of a dirt track. A car sat there, idling. It was a large car with blacked out windows. The passenger door opened and a woman flew out, running forwards and throwing her arms around Roy. He pushed her off quickly, stepping back and closer to Edward.

"Your Mom?" Edward asked,

"Yes."

"Mine's better."

Roy shoved Ed slightly. "Hardly the time to be comparing," he muttered to Ed before turning to the people who should have been protecting him. "Exactly what are you hoping to achieve here?"

"We just want to be a family again, Roy. We want you to come home away from those people who want to keep you from us," his mother said

"Firstly that doesn't explain why you're dragging him into this," Roy indicated Ed. "Secondly what makes you think I was being kept from you. I was given the choice of seeing you but I chose not to. I took years of abuse from my so called father and rather than protect me like a proper mother you decided to drink yourself in to stupor every night. I had to clear up after you then see to my wounds. We were never a family, just a drunk, an abusive man and his punching bag."

"Shut up. Less of your lip, get in the car." He waved the gun, indicating to the car, before putting the gun back to Winry who was still caught in his grip and staring wide-eyed at Ed. Too scared to try anything while Winry was held hostage, Ed walked slowly to the car and got in, Roy followed.

Leaning back from the front passenger seat Roy's mum quickly tied their hands together with cables ties and stuck strips of tape over their mouths.

Winry pushed away from John's weakened grip. She stumbled and fell backwards, hitting her head hard on a tree and slumping to the ground. Walking over to inspect her John nudged her with the toe of his boot before shrugging; he climbed into the car and started the engine.

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><p><em>Review please.<em>

_Can't promise when the next chapter will be out but I will warn you now I have a busy couple of weeks, I'll try my hardest though._


	6. Father

_Well I updated quicker this time I think. Anyway, I have again had a busy week or so, including going to see the wonderful Darren Criss live in London. Not that you needed to know that. _

_I had some great reviews last chapter from people saying it doesn't matter if I'm slow to people telling me to write even if I'm busy. I take them both as compliments. I just wanted to make it clear that no matter how slow or choppy the updates get, I am not giving up on this story, it will be finished even if I have to bully Ed and co into doing what I want them too!_

_Anyway story time! Enjoy!_

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><p><span>Chapter Six: Father<span>

As soon as the sound of the engine had faded away, Winry sat up and rubbed her head feeling a slight bump from where it had hit the tree. Although it was painful to let that man take her friend and boyfriend she knew she needed to get back to Maes, so she'd pretended to be unconscious. Standing up she used the tree for support until the dizzy fit had passed, before being to make her way back to Maes as fast as possible.

Nearly in tears Winry realised she was lost, it was pitch black and she couldn't even see the light of the fire. Taking a deep breath she wondered what to do. She was well off the path to the clearing. A soft groan sounded a little way in front of her and to the right. She breathed a sigh of relief and stumbled in the direction of the noise, almost tripping of the prone figure of Hughes. Dropping to her knees beside him she gently felt for the damage in the dark.

The bullet had hit his chest and his lung by the sound of his breathing but had missed he is heart. He was barely conscious, emitting small groans of pain but not forming words or opening his eyes. Winry pulled her jacket off and used it to stop the bleeding as best she could, unaware of the cold. She became to scream for help, she could hear the music faintly in the background and hoped she could be heard over it.

* * *

><p>As Breda and Havoc tried to out drink each other Riza was watching over them, vaguely wondering where the missing members of the group were. Suddenly she sat up. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard? Reaching over she pulled the cord form the music player, disconnecting it from the speakers. Immediately everyone was complaining.<p>

"Shut up!" she snapped and everyone complied. Now it was quiet she could definitely hear Winry calling and so could everyone else.

Grabbing torches to light the way the group ran towards the sound of Winry's voice, most just stared in shock at the sight of Winry leaning over a bloodied Hughes.

"What happened?" Riza asked dropped down next to Winry and took over putting pressure on the wound. Falman was already dialling the emergency services.

"He was shot," Winry hiccupped through her tears.

"By who?"

"Roy's Father, he wanted him back."

"How did we not hear any of this? I mean what surely we would have heard the gun shot," Havoc asked, showing a he had sobered up rather fast.

"He probably had a silencer," Ling commented.

"Did that bastard take Roy?" Furery asked, pushing up his glasses up his nose, an angry glint in his normally cheerful gaze. Winry nodded, swiping her arm across her face.

"Wait, where's Ed?"Al asked. Winry, who had just managed to stop crying, screwed her face up and managed to tell Al what had happened to Ed before she began to cry again.

"Why would he want Ed too?" but no one knew the answer.

Breda, Havoc and Ling walked down to the road to guide the police and paramedics up to Hughes when they arrived.

* * *

><p>What felt like hours later the black car pulled into what appeared to be an abandoned facility. John left the engine idling but got out. Opening the back door he yanked Ed roughly out. Roy moved to follow but was told to stay where he was as his father slammed the door shut again.<p>

Ed was practically dragged towards the building. John was looking around nervously and seeing his chance, Ed pressed his palms together and broke the cable tie down to dust, before John could do anything Ed had slammed his automail fist into his nose. Swearing, John stumbled back holding his nose as it began to bleed.

Tearing off the strip of tape from across his mouth, Ed grinned, seeing he'd broken his nose.

"I held back, I think someone else deserves the pleasure of beating you to a pulp."

Roy's mother reached them then, kneeling down by her husband.

Turning back to the car Ed saw Roy had got out and removed the tape from his mouth. He held his hands out for Ed to cut the ties. With a quick clap and transmuted a blade from his automail arm and sliced the ties.

"Careful you could take my hand off with that thing," Roy muttered.

"Wanna test?"

A slow clapping got their attention. Turning round the boys came face to face with a tall blonde man, his hair was long and pale and he had a beard. Ed, who'd been shown pictures of his father, recognised him immediately.

"You!" he said, pointing his finger at him. The man simple raised one eye brow and looked at the two teens appraisingly.

"Who is he?" Roy muttered, loud enough only for Ed to hear him.

"Hohenheim," Ed said simply, Roy knew the name.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Hohenheim? Van Hohenheim? No I'm not him," the stranger said.

"Really? You look just like him," Ed replied.

"Yes I suppose I do. So do you, you look like him when he was your age."

"Wait so who are you?" Roy asked. Subtly he fished his glove out of his pocket, while thanking whoever that he'd used it to light the campfire.

"I'm related to Hohenheim, in some respects. You could say I'm Edward's Uncle."

"So you're his brother?" Ed asked, wondering why he'd never heard about having an uncle.

"Not quite."

"Then how the hell are you my Uncle, you're infuriating," Ed yelled, having had enough of this useless chat. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Such a temper," was the only answer he got.

"Father, he's coming." The new voice made both Roy and Ed turn around. It was then they notices they'd been surrounded. The person who had spoken was tall and skinny, they couldn't tell if the person was male or female. A tall woman stood one side of them and a very fat man the other. Ed turned back to the bearded man who had first spoken to them. Roy stayed facing the long haired individual. They pressed their backs together.

"Thank you Envy," the bearded man, referred to as Father said.

With a quick snap of his finger Roy created a barrier of fire around Edward and himself.

"Not going to be able to keep this up for long," he hissed at Ed. Pressing his back closer to Roy's Ed desperately tried to plan a way out of this mess.

"We have to fight, it's the only way," Ed said, using the sound of the roaring fire to mask his voice form their captors. Nodding, Roy killed the fire, pulling oxygen away from the hungry flames instead of pumping it in.

The dark clothed figures that surrounded them were smirking, but the bearded leader was gone. Roy's parents had stumbled quietly to their car and now were looking like they couldn't decide whether to wait for Roy or not.

The one called Envy smirked and opened his mouth to speak but before he could. Ed yelled, "run!" and the boys took off sprinting towards the exit. The driveway led round a bend and they made it their, Roy's longer legs carrying him slightly faster than Ed.

A car, which had been heading up the road towards them, quickly spun round so it'd face the exit. Roy halted and grabbed Ed as he over took him. The passenger door of the car opened and voice told them to get in. Willing to risk their chances with this stranger than the freaky people who were behind them. They were standing still for a second before they both sprinted to the car and dived in. Ed felt a hand lock round his ankle and he savagely kicked out trying to dislodge the person determined to pull him from the car. With a quick snap Roy burnt the arm. With a cry Envy, who'd been the fastest, let go of Ed, who promptly closed the door. The car speed away.

Roy had crawled into the back seat, leaving Ed to turn to look at his rescuer. He froze, the bearded man was driving the car. It took Ed a second to realise he couldn't possibly have changed into a brown suit, tied his hair back and got into a car that far away in the time since Ed had last seen him. But this man was identical which meant, "Hohenheim?" Ed said as a sigh of relief.

"Son," Hohenheim replied.

"Bastard," Ed muttered.

"Guess I deserve that."

"Too right you do." Ed scowled at his old man before leaning back to look at Roy. He was slumped in the middle of the back seat, looking for all the world as if he was asleep.

"You still with us?" He asked in hushed whisper. Roy nodded weakly without opening his eyes.

"Never sustained that much fire for that long before," he muttered by explanation.

"Pathetic, teacher is going train you twice as hard when she hears."

"Shut it brat," Roy replied with a small smile.

Turning back to Hohenheim Ed asked, "where are we going?"

"To a safe place, then I'm going to finish this."

"I don't even know what this is but we need to get back to our friends."

"Out of the question."

"Look two of our friends were injured we don't know if the others even realised. They could be dying." At Ed's words Roy had sat up and opened his eyes, a look of panic crossing his usually passive face. Although brief the fight and flight for quite possibly their lives had made Roy forget that his best friend had been shot, now the adrenalin that had faded once he reached the safety of the car was back full force.

"Fine," Hohenheim agreed.

As they drove Ed began to question his father.

"Why'd you leave?"

"To keep you safe."

"Oh that went well, I was perfectly safe lying on a train track."

"It's a long story Edward."

"Well you better start then, hadn't you?" Ed demanded. With a sigh Hohenheim tried again to stall this conversation.

"I think it's better in private." Ed looked over his shoulder at Roy who had slumped back down.

"He'll find out eventually, besides I don't think he's listening. How about I fill in what I know. You were in some trouble, you left split up from Mom, she took Al and you took me. But you never showed when you were meant to meet up, instead you abandoned me and vanished."

"How can you know all that?" Hohenheim asked.

"What? Mom told me, oh right I guess you don't know she and Al moved to the town where I lived." Ed was surprised to see tears falling down Hohenheim face at his words.

"She's alive, my Trisha."

"And Al, yeah why shouldn't they be?"

"I was told they'd been killed, I... how are they?"

"Fine. Please just tell me what happened." With a small nod of his head, Hohenheim brushed the tears away and began his story.

* * *

><p><em>Hohenheim kissed Trisha's teary face.<em>

"_It won't be for long, but we have to my love," he said softly._

"_I know," she replied and looked down at the two small figures clutching her skirts. Edward was desperately hiding his tears but Trisha could always tell when he wanted to cry. Alphonse was openly crying. _

_Bending down she threw her arms round Edward and kissed him several times. _

"_You have to be my big strong boy now, ok. Look after your father." Then she picked him up and put him in Hohenheim's arms. Before picking up Al and gently comforting him. Edward reached one hand out and ruffled his little brother's hair which did more to quiet his cries than Trisha's cooing. _

_They travelled far, Hohenheim and his son. Edward was determined to be strong, to not cry, to not show how much he missed his mother and brother. Their journey took them to a small southern village, a little way out from South City. They stopped there for a while and on a bright sunny day the father and son walked to the top of a hill, on one side a gently slope towards town on the other and steep embankment leading down straight on the train tracks. _

_Hohenheim set up and blanket and feast of wonderful summer foods. Sandwiches, berries, small cocktail sausages and in the centre he set a fresh apple pie he'd bought from the baker that morning. Grinning Ed ran over to the fence that blocked off the railway track and waved enthusiastically at the train that went by. _

"_Edward, come on it's time to eat."_

"_Yay," the boy called scrambling back to his father, more than ready to eat. They feasted and talked. Once the savouries had been eaten Ed sat and stared at the pie, waiting eagerly for Hohenheim to cut it and give him a slice. _

_Biting into it he smiled, he loved apple pie and even if it wasn't as good as his mothers it still tasted good. _

"_Next time you eat apple pie it'll be your mothers," Hohenheim said, watching his little boys face light up._

"_We're going back?"_

"_Not quite, we're going somewhere else, but we'll meet Al and your Mother there."_

"_Oh will you?" A shadow fell over the pair and Hohenheim's heart sank. Standing up he glared at the intruder. He'd thought that all the moving around had meant that these people wouldn't be able to find him, he'd been wrong._

_His blood turned cold as he heard a scream and turned round to find a man had grabbed Edward._

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><p><em>First time I've stopped mid flashback, aren't I annoying? Still is it good annoying or bad annoying? <em>

_Who else is going to see Harry Potter 7.2 at midnight? End of an era guys! So sad, I grew up with Harry!_

_Review please!_


	7. Return

_I'm back! Slowly but surely this story is getting back on track in my head now and it's heading towards it's peak. _

_Thank you, as always, to my wonderful reviewers I do love reading them. _

_Also a note to everyone who reads **Protect Her: **_I have lapsed in this story quite significantly, it has taken a back seat to this one and I apologise to the people waiting for an update. I'm offically putting in hiatus but I will not abandon it forever. Sorry.__

__Enjoy the story!__

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><p><span>Chapter Seven: Return<span>

"_Don't move or the last member of your little family will die." The man who wasn't holding Edward said, pulling out a knife and pointing it at the boy._

"_Last?" Hohenheim barely managed to choke the word as he froze._

"_Oh yes! We found your wife and that little bawling brat last month; they barely even put up a fight. You left them defenceless." _

_Edward bit into the hand that was covering his mouth. The man who'd captured him swore and dropped him. _

"_Run!" Hohenheim yelled at his son. And Edward did, scrambling towards the edge of the hill, heading towards the embankment. A hand grabbed caught the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards and lifted him off the ground._

_Struggling and kicking his legs as hard as he could Ed tried to break free. One flailing leg managed to kick the man's stomach hard. The man doubled over, letting go of Edward he leant against the fence that blocked off the embankment. The wood was rotten through and broke easily under his wait causing the man to roll down the steep hill, knocking the boy down with him. _

"_No," Hohenheim yelled as he saw his son go over the hill. It had taken seconds from the moment he'd told him to run and the boy falling down. A train whistle, blasted through the silence that had descended causing Hohenheim's blood to run cold. He could see the white smoke and hear the chugging as it moved closer to them. _

_He tried to stand but the other man hit him on the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. He wasn't quite unconscious but he was stunned enough not to be able to move. The man who'd fallen down clambered back up and look at his comrade. _

"_The boy?" the man who'd hit Hohenheim asked. The other one looked behind him._

"_He's on the tracks; he could be dead for all I know."_

"_Well? Find out and quickly he could be vital for keeping this one quiet." Nodding the man hurriedly disappeared down the hill. _

_With a blast of steam the train roared past and Hohenheim waited with baited breath for the man to reappear, but when he did he was alone._

"_Sorry boss, I wasn't fast enough, if he wasn't dead before he must be now, horrible mess. What do we do?"_

"_Leave it, it's someone else's problem now. Come on let's get this one back to the big guy." The next hit Hohenheim received did knock him out._

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><p><em>The room was sparsely furnished, a bed, a desk, a chair and a wardrobe. Soon he'd be forced to participate in some horrible experiment, the reason he'd runaway in the first place. <em>

_Hohenheim had believed this lab was here to develop ways of helping people with alchemy. He'd been wrong, but he didn't find out they were actually developing ways alchemy can be used in warfare until after he'd been working here for some time. He'd left one day and not come back but it wasn't long before he realised that the people behind this weren't going to let him. That's why he tried his desperate attempt to keep hidden. _

_Tears fell down his face as he considered that maybe if he'd kept working for them, or let himself be killed then his wife and children might still be alive. The door to his room, cell really, was unlocked and a woman in a lab coat walked in carrying a tray of food. She set it down next to another tray that was untouched._

"_Sir, you need to eat, you're going to make yourself sick," she said, in a concerned tone that reminded Hohenheim of Trisha._

"_They're all gone, what does it matter anymore," he replied. With a sad sigh the woman left._

_A few days later, when she once again was bringing food the woman laid a paper across Hohenheim's lap. She pointed at the article she wanted him to read, the headline read 'miracle boy survives despite doctors doubts'. Hohenheim looked at the headline then at the woman._

"_There's this five year old kid that was found on the railway tracks, he'd lost both an arm and a leg but somehow he survived. Doctors thought he was going to die but he didn't. No one knows who he is or who his parents are. Just goes to show there is always hope."_

_Hohenheim never knew how long he stared at the paper barely daring to hope the 'miracle boy' was his Edward. A siren cut through the silence and caused him to look up and notice the door wasn't closed properly._

_Using the confusion caused by the siren and a little alchemy Hohenheim managed to escape that night, one page from the newspaper folded in the breast pocket of his shirt. _

_Hohenheim made his way to the hospital mentioned then, during visitors time got himself into the wards. _

_He stared through the window of Edward's room, so happy to see his son alive, but grieved to see him hurt so. A dark haired woman and a bulky man were in the room with him. The woman leant over and kissed his forehead, Edward smiled up at her, in the way he'd so often smiled at Trisha. _

_The couple left the room. Hohenheim greeted them, nodding his head towards the room._

"_Is that the miracle then?" he asked_

"_Yes, poor thing." The woman answered._

"_Have they found his parents yet?"_

"_No, he doesn't remember his surname or anything about them. The doctors say he amnesia caused by the trauma. Took him a while to remember his first name." Hohenheim felt a jolt at the woman's words. If he walked into that room now Edward wouldn't know him. _

_By know they people would know Hohenheim was missing and if he was near Edward when they found him who was to say Edward would be so lucky again. Taking one last look at the boy was dwarfed by the hospital bed. Hohenheim turned back to the couple._

"_I sure hope he stays safe from now on. I must be going, nice talking to you."_

"_Good bye sir."_

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><p>"So I left you. It was the only way to keep you safe, you have to believe me about that." Hohenheim said as they neared the woods.<p>

"Oh well done, good job. I'm so safe now," Ed replied sarcastically.

"You were able to heal, able to get used to those remarkable limbs and grow up in the relative safety of a loving family. You can fight, use alchemy and have friends to help you now, so maybe leaving you was wrong but it probably saved your life."

Being unable to come up with a sensible answer Ed just grunted. Hohenheim pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Why have we stopped?" Ed asked.

"See the lights, from police cars or ambulances, probably both. You two will have to walk the rest of the way, I don't want to be arrested for your kidnap."

"You wouldn't be, we can just tell them it wasn't you."

"And when asked to describe the man you were taken too?"

"Ah," Ed answered, realising that wouldn't work but not wanting this man to just disappear as suddenly as he'd arrived.

"Look, I'm going to finish this once and for all. I need to know you are safe, and Trisha and Al. I need you to go to the police, tell them they're in danger as well or something."

"Wait, you never said who that bearded guy was back there."

"When I was kept at the place they took blood from me. They used it to make him, he was meant to be the first of many alchemical soldiers but he can't be controlled. He killed everyone at that facility and created his 'children' as it were, those others you saw. Now I'm going to stop him, before he can hurt anyone else."

"What does he want?"

"Everything, now go."

"Come on Ed," Roy, who been silent until then, urged.

The two teens exited the car and watched Hohenheim drive away. Roy swayed uncertainly on his feet for a second, before his knees gave out. Ed caught before he hit the ground and took his weight.

"You really did over do it, honestly you are completely useless."

"Can still beat you," Roy replied weakly.

"Whatever, come on, let's find someone else to hold your fat arse up."

"I'm not fat you brat." It was at that point that Roy realised that Ed has started to lead them along the gravelly track towards the bend where the lights were. They turned the corner and saw a couple of police cars and a few officers talking to their friends. Standing closest to them, staring at the ground and biting her thumb nail, was Riza. Looking up she caught sight of the pair and blinked at them for a second, before her eyes widened and with a cry of Roy's name she began to sprint towards them. Everyone else turned at her cry and suddenly everyone was charging at them en masse.

Before he even knew what was happening Roy was passed off from Ed to Riza who was lecturing him about something or rather but he wasn't listening. A crowd of friends and police officers were all around him talking as one

"Maes?" he asked weakly but she heard. Her hard voice softened as she answered him.

"He was taken to hospital a little while ago, but he was hurt pretty bad." Riza noticed Ed was listening in as well. "Winry went too, she just had a bump on her head and was a bit shaken, she'll be fine." Ed nodded his thanks.

They were hustled back where the police cars were parked. A blonde woman with a rather fearsome presence looked down at them.

"What happened boys?" she asked in a no nonsense tone.

"My so called father showed up. He shot Hughes and took us," Roy said, looking at Ed and seeing the silent warning not to mention his father or the look-a-like.

"Why did he take blondie as well?"

"I don't know."

"How did you escape?"

"Waited until he let his guard down, it wasn't hard."

"Why you so exhausted."

"I used some alchemy, in self defence, no one was hurt." The police woman made a derisive noise.

"You boy," she turned to Ed, "anything to add?"

"No," Ed answered looking down, knowing he didn't lie very well.

"If you two are hiding something I will find out what it is."

"Aren't we the victims here," Ed snapped, standing up and trying to square off to the woman. She towered over him and fixed him with a sharp glare.

"I have a knack for knowing when someone is hiding something from me and I know you two aren't being straight with me."

"Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Detective Armstrong and don't get me wrong I'm going to find the creep who shot and innocent kid and kidnapped two others and put his arse in jail. However something doesn't add up and that is you, shorty, why would an abusive father trying to get his son back kidnap another kid."

"I don't know."

"Brother?" Al's voice cut through the crowd and caused Ed to whirl round. Al was walking out of the woods with two police officers and Ling, seeing Ed he ran forward and suddenly Ed had an armful of Al.

Ed was relieved that Al didn't start spouting mushy stuff but he did take comfort in being able to hold on to Al for a second. They pulled away and Ed looked back at Detective Armstrong.

"You lot, come on, get these kids home," Armstrong ordered, with one last glare at Ed.

They were loaded into police cars. Ed found himself sandwiched between Roy and Al. Riza was sitting in the passenger seat of the front of the car. Roy was slumped against the window, Ed leaned his head against Al's shoulder, which happened to be at the perfect height.

The soothing motion of the car lulled Ed into a half sleep, only disturbed by Riza's sharp question.

"Where are we?"

"On the way home," the police officer driving the car informed her.

"But we're not, we're nowhere near home and where are the other cars?"

"You're too perceptive," the police man said.

The crackle of alchemy filled the car, pulling everyone back to full awareness. Before their stunned eyes the driver began to change form. Within seconds the long haired man from the run-down facility was before them.

"Hey there pipsqueak, you didn't think you'd get away that easily did you. But we must thank you for leading us right too dear little brother. Hohenheim will do whatever we once we he knows both his sons lives are in danger."

"What?" Al gasped, not sure he was following what was going on. Ed tensed beside shifting forwards and slightly in front of Al putting himself between Al and the monster as much as possible in the backseat of a car.

"You bastard," he hissed.

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><p><em>And another cliff hanger. I'm not sorry, got to keep you guys interested. <em>

_Review please!_


	8. Envy

_I am so very sorry for the wait! Major case of writers block again, this story is fighting me at every turn. But for some reason as soon as term is about to start I get ideas! Anyway, I have no idea how busy I'll be with Uni this year so we'll have to see how my updates go from now on. Hopefully not every two months! _

_Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter and all who are putting up with my slow writing._

_Note: It's getting late so my editing is probably poor I apologise._

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><p>"You bastard," Ed hissed. Envy laughed it was a gleeful yet menacing sound. With her usual lighting fast reaction Riza snatched the gun from the holster and pointed at the homunculus.<p>

"Stop the car," she demanded.

"You won't shoot me little girl," Envy replied.

"Want to try me?" Riza asked but her hands were shaking slightly.

"Riza, he isn't human, he's created by alchemy," Ed shouted as Envy tried to lash out and knock the gun from Riza's hands. The sudden action caused Riza to pull the trigger and shoot Envy. The bullet hit him in the throat and the car swerved off the road. Everyone covered their faces as the car hit a tree, the jolt sent the all forwards but apart from bruises everyone was ok.

Red alchemical light filled the car again.

"What's happening?" Al asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"Don't know but we need to run now," Roy replied as he opened the car door. Riza and Al both scrabbled out their respective doors as Roy reached back in and practically yanked Ed out from the awkward middle seat. Then they took off sprinting into the woods, with no clue where they were or where they were going.

"What do we do now?" Roy said, panting as they ran.

"I don't know," Ed replied, before calling them to halt. "We can't just keep running in a random direction. We need a plan."

"We need to get to the police, but how do we do that? We don't know where we are," Riza commented.

"Which hopefully means that thing also doesn't know where we are," Roy said.

"Is that relevant isn't it dead?" Al asked.

"I wouldn't count on it, like I said it's made by alchemy, besides there is more than one," Ed replied. "Damn it, that old git just left us to get killed again," he hissed.

"What? What is actually going on here? This started off as a nice camping trip in the woods, how has it ended up with us on the run from a monster that may have survived being shot?" Al demanded.

"It's a long story, abridged version is our father got himself in trouble and was used to create an alchemical solider like thing that went bad and now wants him dead and is willing to use us to do so."

"Ok," Al said simply.

"That all you got to say?"

"I can't really think of anything else to say right now."

"So what do we do?" Roy asked again.

"I don't know," Ed snapped.

"Look, we all need to calm down and find a way back to the road," Riza said calmly, the voice of reason.

"Except the road is where we left that thing," Ed countered.

"You got a better idea?" Riza asked.

"No," Ed admitted.

"I do." The teens all whipped round to see Envy step out from among the trees. "How about you pathetic humans give up this little escape attempt and come back with me, before someone gets hurt." Before any of them could do anything he'd grabbed Riza.

"Oh please, you're not going to hurt any of us, you would have done so already," Roy said with more confidence than he really had.

"Actually I only need the alchemists alive, so this one is expendable. Also it doesn't really matter if you're whole or not!"

"Wait, why do you need alchemists?" Ed asked.

"Guess you'll find out soon."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, they're gone?" Izumi demanded, looking sharply at the blonde police woman.<p>

"The squad car they were travelling in disappeared. I'm very sorry Mrs Curtis but we will find them."

"Oh my boys," Trisha Elric, who had rushed around to Izumi's, sat down heavily. Izumi sat next to her and placed an arm around her.

"We know Roy's father was involved but I just can't understand why the other children would be taken." Detective Armstrong said.

"Well my husband got into some trouble a long time ago," Trisha said and then quickly explained the story.

"But how does that all connect with the Mustang's?" Detective Armstrong mused. No one could work out the answer.

The radio that was clipped to the detective's belt crackled to life. Armstrong spoke into it briefly before snapping an order to the person at the other end.

"Widen the search, I want those kids found."

The door opened and a police officer escorted a stern looking man into the house. Izumi stood up to greet him.

"Mr Hawkeye." He nodded to her, then fixed Armstrong with a glare.

"Where's my daughter?" he asked.

"Sir, we'll find them," was the only answer she could give.

She surveyed the occupants of the room. Mr Hawkeye sitting stiffly in his chair, Trisha Elric with her head in her hands, Izumi Curtis sitting next to her with one hand on her shoulder the other holding her husband's hand over her own shoulder. Detective Olivia Armstrong didn't have children but looking at the faces around her she felt she could understand what these people were going through, she vowed to find the missing children and catch the bastards who had taken them.

* * *

><p>The old factory, or whatever it was, looked the same as the police car pulled into it. The four kids, sitting together in the back, stared out at the bleak scenery.<p>

"What no welcoming committee this time?" Ed asked, hiding his fear behind sarcasm. He got an elbow in the rib from Roy for his trouble.

"Get out," Envy ordered them and, with little choice, they did just that.

They were led into the facility this time. Ed frowned, his father had been on his way here to finish this, whatever 'this' was. He sort of expected there to be some sort of indication that his father was here.

Envy stopped by an old, rather unsafe looking lift and pressed the call button. Once the lift arrived he gestured the four kids inside and pressed the bottom button. The lift began to descend jerkily. A few seconds later it jerked to a stop causing them to lose their balance. Roy caught hold of Riza's shoulders to keep her upright. He gave a comforting squeeze before he let her go. Ed stumbled forward and caught himself on the wall the same time as Al grabbed the back of his shirt. Al didn't remove his hand once Ed was stable.

With a malicious grin Envy stepped out of the lift gestured, once again, for the others to follow. They stepped out into a dark dank cellar and followed Envy. Al let go of Ed and they walked shoulder to shoulder, Roy and Riza followed, Riza half a step behind Roy.

They were led into a large underground room. The man known as father stepped out of the shadows.

"Nice to see you again, Edward, Roy. Seems you brought some friends," he said with no emotion. He scanned the four; his eyes fell on Alphonse last.

"Well well, so both his sons survived, I must say my creators were rather stupid. Much like your Father."

"Where is he, you son of bitch?" Ed growled stepping forward.

"Don't you dare speak to father like that," Envy hissed, slapping Ed hard across the face making him fall to the ground. Al dropped to his knees beside Ed to check he was ok. Sitting up Ed spat some blood on the floor and glared at Envy.

"Can it Ed, before you get us all killed," Roy told him angrily.

"Bite me, Mustang," was Ed's reply.

"Envy please refrain from damaging our guests." The way he said guests implied they were anything but. Turning back to the teens he said "I think you have greater things to worry about than fighting amongst yourselves. Now you girl, come here." Riza didn't move and Roy stepped in front of her.

Father sighed and alchemy crackled around the pair. The floor underneath Roy's feet cracked and crumbled throwing him off his feet. Rope sprang out of nowhere and tied around Riza pinning her arms to her sides. With one loose end Father pulled her forward and she had no choice but to stumble towards him.

"Now girl, are you an alchemist?" Riza's face set into a mask of determination.

"No," she answered.

"Then you are of no use. Envy take her away."

"No," Roy yelled, having scrambled to his feet, he lunged at him, but he felt an automail arm stop him.

"Who's going to get us killed now moron," Ed hissed.

With a gleeful laugh Envy pulled the bound Riza back out the door. Roy stared after her, hoping she'd be ok. They hadn't been gone long when the crack of a gun going off split the air.

"No!" Roy's anguished cry filled the room. Ed slumped at the sound of the gun shot, releasing his grip, he hadn't really expected to lose anyone. Roy twisted out of his grip and turning round he punched Ed on his jaw, causing him to fall back and blink stupidly up at Roy.

"You little bastard why did you stop me!" he yelled, his voice so full of fury Ed was a little scared. Roy raised his arm to hit Ed again but to both his and Ed's surprise. Al knocked his legs out from under him and with one knee on his back, yanked the arm he'd raised back.

"Calm down." Al instructed in a tone even Roy couldn't argue with. Roy relaxed and after a few seconds so did Al. He let him up and pulled Ed to his feet.

The three stood shoulder to shoulder and faced Father.

"You will pay." Ed said, his voice dripping with venom. Then a voice caused all of them to pause before obeying the one simple command.

"Duck!"

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><p><em>Yes I am being so cruel sorry! Please review!<em>


	9. The Fight

_I am very sorry for the length of time it has taken to write this chapter. I am so busy this semester it's unbelieveable. So thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and thank you to everyone who is sticking with this story despite my terrible update times. _

_One exciting thing I did do recently though was meet Vic Mignogna (voice of Ed) that was pretty amazing!_

_Just a little warning that this isn't very well edited but I'm busy and I think you all deserve a new chapter. Enjoy!_

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><p><span>Chapter Nine: The Fight<span>

"Duck!"

Ed, Roy and Al all complied and a gun fired, the bullet fizzled up and disappeared before it even hit Father. The three kids twisted round to see the gunman, or more precisely woman. Riza stood, behind them, the gun held steady in her hand and pointed at the enemy. She fired the rest of the round in the gun, it had no effect.

"Riza?" Roy tried to stand to go to her but Ed had grabbed him again. Calmer now Roy merely turned to look at him, Ed was glaring at Riza with mistrust.

"What now?" Roy asked, annoyed.

"The homunculus could shape-shift dumbass," Ed spat back, before raising his voice to Riza. "Prove you're Riza Hawkeye."

Riza nodded in approval before casting her mind back to something only her and at least one of the boys would know but before she had a chance to speak the doors behind her burst open and Envy flew through the door, looking murderous.

"Well that about proves it for me," Ed said, letting go of Roy and leaping towards Envy. He was closely followed by both his real and foster brother. Roy, grabbed hold of Riza and hugged her tight for a second, before rounding on the man who started all this. He was now surrounded by others of his so called 'children'. Roy swore loudly alerting Al, who was about to reach Ed who was already trading blows with Envy. Looking behind him he saw two other homunculi, hoping his brother would be fine, Al wheeled round to fight one of the others. It was now an even numbered fight. Al briefly considered that probably wasn't a good thing.

Raising her gun Riza aimed it at the boss, while the tall shapely woman, stepped forward and squared off to Roy. The fat man leapt at Al, with surprising agility. Ed was still engrossed in his fight with Envy to realise everyone else's plight.

* * *

><p>Riza squeezed the trigger but it did little more than click. She'd already used the whole round and she had no spares. Throwing the gun aside she realised she had no weapon and the others were occupied. With no expression father used his alchemy to fling her across her across the room. Riza hit the wall and slumped unconscious. Father turned to the rest of the fight and just watched.<p>

* * *

><p>The woman smiled at Roy, who just narrowed his eyes back at her. Her beautiful face twisted and she leapt forward, her fingers extending, unnaturally, into sharp points, which she used to slash across Roy's face. He dodge back but caught some of the lethal swipe. Streaks of blood appeared across his face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riza go flying. The homunculi used his distraction to stab his shoulder. Crying out he slammed his hand down on her arm, trying to make her retract her hand but it did no good. She kicked his knees out from under him and he fell heavily onto the floor, smashing up his knees. The woman pulled her hand back to its usual configuration and stood over Roy where he knelt with his hand on his shoulder. Roy desperately wanted to look at his friends, he'd heard Al call out shortly after he had, but he didn't dare look away from his opponent. That was until agony filled scream filled the hall.<p>

* * *

><p>Al ducked the first attack from the fat man. He groped in his pocket for a stick of chalk but didn't have time to use it before the next attack. He dodged and ducked but had not time to make any kind of counter attack. He heard Roy call out but had little time do anything as the fat man managed to finally land a hit, knocking him back with surprising force. He let out a choked off cry. As he slumped to the ground winded.<p>

* * *

><p>Too involved in trading blows with Envy, Ed had little idea of what was going on around him. He managed to get a good solid punch in that knocked Envy back, but it didn't last long, Envy lashed back with a solid kick to Ed's stomach which made him stumble back. They carried on like that, neither getting the upper hand until Ed heard something that made run cold. He heard Al's cry and spun round in time to see him collapse. Taking advantage of Ed's distraction Envy grabbed his automail arm and twisted it. Ed screamed as he felt the arm be yanked out of its socket.<p>

Once the arm was free Envy pushed Ed to the ground, where, off balance he couldn't push himself up quickly.

From his position he could see Al was still breathing, and he could see Roy, kneeling on the ground panting, holding his shoulder, his hand stained with blood. Ed couldn't see Riza at all. He looked back to Roy who was staring at him, as waiting for him to do something amazing but Ed was out of good ideas at this point. He mentally cursed his father for abandoning them again. He thought back to their escape before and remembered the wall of fire.

Ed scowled at Roy, throughout the fight with the female homunculus he hadn't once used alchemy, Ed wondered why, before making a small snapping motion with his fingers. Roy's expression didn't change but Ed knew he'd seen it.

Roy swore silently in his head when he saw the gesture Ed made.

"Well looks like you are all under control now, maybe we can begin. Get up," Father told them. Roy dropped his hand away from his shoulder and stood. Al had recovered enough to help Ed stand up. Roy glanced back towards Riza she was still unconscious but he could just see her chest rising. He was glad, at least, that she was safely out of the way for the moment.

"Why do you need us? Ed asked. Father didn't answer he just gestured to his 'children' who began to drag the young alchemists away.

"Stop!" the voice rang out through the underground hall from the door. Everyone turned to look at the new comer. Hohenheim was framed in the doorway.

"Where the hell have you been," Ed snapped at his father.

"Dad." Alphonse gasped, looking at the man he only remembered from photographs.

"Well if it isn't Van Hohenheim, I would advise you to stay out of the way."

"I won't let you hurt my family anymore Homunculus." The ground began to shift under the feet of the homunculi and the teenagers, throwing them off balance. In the distraction Roy was able to pull the ignition cloth glove out of his pocket. Slipping it on to his hand he managed to send a spurt of flames at the female homunculi. Her screams were piercing as Roy kept up the onslaught until he was bowled over by the fat homunculus.

"Leave her alone," he wailed as he used his sheer bulk to bring the teen to the ground. Roy gasped in pain as he went down on his injured shoulder.

As soon as he'd been let go Al had turned on Envy who, surprised by the onslaught, had dropped his grip on Ed. Ed stumbled losing his balance easily without the weight of the automail arm he'd been previously compensating for. Hands caught him before he hit the ground and he looked up to see his father supporting him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ed growled at him.

"No time to explain, get out of here."

"Not without the others."

"In your current state you can help no one, go."

Ed snarled at the statement, wrenching himself away from the support he just kept himself upright. He would show his father but Hohenheim had already moved off, not even looking over his shoulder to see if his son and complied with his demand.

Taking a brief second Ed looked at the battles around him. Al was facing off against Envy. Ed noted, with a little pride, that Al was a natural fight but without the intensive sparring training that Ed himself and Roy had received from Izumi Al would not be able to keep it up for long. A burst of flame directed Ed's attention to where two homunculi were attacking Roy. He was easily keeping them at bay with his flames, but they were coming back for more, healing each time, while Roy became more and more exhausted by his labours. He hadn't been 100% when the battle had started.

That's when it dawned on Ed he hadn't been attacked, no was noticing him, giving him the time he needed to do what he was best at. True without his arm he'd have to draw a circle but that was hardly a problem for him.

Taking a sharp rock Ed scratched a circle into ground and pressed his palm to it. Envy screamed as two sharp barbs pierced him, lifting him up from the ground. He was trapped. Al, who'd thrown himself backwards at the flash of alchemy turned to his brother and grinned. Ed grinned right back.

Another flash of alchemic light filled the room as Hohenheim and Father faced each other, each shooting a pulse of pure alchemic energy at each other. The energy from each met in the middle and stayed there as each tried to gain the upper hand. Lust and Gluttony both retreated towards their creator and after a feat of inhuman strength and agility Envy freed himself and followed.

"You're a mere copy, homunculus, you shall never beat me," Hohenheim informed his opponent.

"Really, I wouldn't be so sure, Hohenheim," came the reply. With the hand that wasn't pointing palm out at Hohenheim he directed at his 'children'. Ed and the others watched on in horror as the homunculi disappeared, as if being sucked into their Father's body. The tide of alchemy shifted, growing closer to Hohenheim, he was losing.

Thinking fast, Ed grabbed up his rock and quickly drew another circle, slightly behind where Hohenheim stood.

"Dad, take a step back," he instructed. Without a thought Hohenheim did as his son had said, stepping straight into the circle, once he was there Ed pressed his palm against it, activating the circle. He felt a shoulder brush against his own as Al laid his hands on the circle next to Ed's and a moment later, Roy joined them. All three teens were feeding their own alchemy into Hohenheim making his alchemy stronger than the homunculus could ever hope for.

Once again the tide of the battle changed and an explosion ripped through the air.

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><p><em>Thank you and please leave a review. As you maybe able to tell next chapter is (probably) the last one. This story turned out to be a lot shorter than was expecting.<em>


	10. End

_So I finally got this chapter out. I couldn't even touch it for the last few weeks I had so much work to do._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter._

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><p><span>Chapter 10: End<span>

Dust settled. Ed coughed, sitting up slowly and glancing round at the devastation around him. Al and Roy were either side of him, his father was in front of him. Father had finished. All seemed unconscious. Ed quickly checked both teens pulses, satisfied that they were both alive he moved towards his father. Hohenheim was alive but his pulse seemed weak. Ed bit his lip and glanced round. He was in a structurally unsound building with four unconscious bodies and one arm. What was he supposed to do?

Roy stirred, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"What happened," he asked in a raspy voice.

"Dunno," Ed replied, his voice had a similar quality due to the dust in the air.

"Are they...?" Roy didn't finish his question as Ed just nodded.

"Riza?" Roy asked. Ed looked alarmed, he'd forgotten the girls presence in the room. Roy scrambled to his feet and rushed to her side, clambering over debris.

Placing his hand on her shoulder he shook her gently. She opened her eyes.

"Is it over?" she asked.

"I think so, you ok?" Roy replied.

"Yes, you?" she look pointedly at the blood stains on his shirt.

"I'll live." Roy smiled in relief and much to the blonde's surprise he threw his arms around her.

"Roy?" Riza asked, gently wrapping her own arms around him.

"I thought I'd lost you," he choked out.

"I'm not leaving you, ever."

"Good, don't you dare, ever."

Roy pulled Riza to her feet and they both made their way back to Ed. Al was sitting cross legged holding a tissues or something against a gash in his head. Hohenheim too had awoken, and was trying to get to his feet with the help of Ed. Roy leant his shoulder to the man and together the damaged group slowly made their way to the exit.

Dawn was just breaking as they exited the abandoned facility. The police car was still parked there as well as Hohenheim's car. The delight of being free was filling the teens but the sound of a voice, sent blood running cold.

"I'm not leaving without getting what I came for."

Roy swore, he'd forgotten how this had all started and now he looked at his abusive father holding a gun towards them and saw red. He stepped forwards and with his still gloved hand he snapped. The gun heated enough to make John Mustang drop the gun and then Roy ran forwards and slammed his fist into the man's already broken face.

"That's for Winry," he spat out. He kicked the man's legs out so John fell to the floor. "That's for Maes." He grabbed John's shirt and pulled him up and punched him again. "That's for Ed." Another brutal punch, "and that's for my own damn pleasure."

"Roy stop," his mother ran out of her hiding place. Roy glared at her.

"You are not my mother," he yelled, "he is not my father," Roy pointed at the man on the floor. "Now I am going back to my family and I never, I mean _never_, want to see either of you again, got it." With that Roy walked back to his friends. Riza slipped her hand into his and squeezed it.

Several police cars came whizzing into the courtyard at that moment. And suddenly there was a flurry of action. Police uniforms everywhere and through it all Trisha, Izumi, Sig and Mr Hawkeye appeared.

"Mum!" Al cried running towards Trisha, who received him with open arms.

"Al, I'm so glad you're ok." She sobbed, tears staining her face. She pushed him away enough to be able to see his face. She gently rubbed some of the blood from his wound off his face. Trisha glanced behind him to find her other son and gasped when she saw who he was supporting. She rushed to Hohenheim's side with Al just behind her.

Izumi looked at the boy she'd raised as her own. He was with his family, all of whom were now kneeling on the floor. She was happy he'd found her family but at the same time she knew he'd leave her and that made her sad. She glanced away and saw the police arresting two people who must be Roy's parents. She looked for her other charge; he had walked up to her with a weak smile.

"Think I finally got my own back," he said softly. Izumi reached out and rubbed is uninjured arm. Roy hugged her, leaning against the smaller woman. Izumi was surprised, Roy had never been one for physical shows of affection she brought her arms up around him and hugged back.

"Teacher?" Roy straightened and broke the hug at the sound of Ed's voice. Looking at the speaker Izumi smiled at him and before either could disappear she'd pulled both teens into her arms.

* * *

><p>Ed looked at Winry warily. He was sitting on a hospital bed once again and Winry had just entered the room her head had clearly been stitched but she seemed fine at least fine enough that she was going to kill him for losing a very expensive automail arm.<p>

"Look Winry, it really wasn't my fault," he started to explain but tears came to her eyes and she threw herself at him.

"Oh Edward, I'm so glad you're ok," she sobbed.

"Er...yeah," he replied awkwardly. He patted her back with his arm.

"Granny has already started making your new arm, I rang her straight away."

"Er great. Are you ok?" he asked. "Last time I saw you, you were unconscious."

"Oh I wasn't, I was pretending to be so I could get help," she answered, "I'm fine."

"Maes?" Ed asked, suddenly remembering the teen who'd been shot.

"He was hurt bad but the doctors think he'll make it," Winry answered smiling.

* * *

><p>Ed Elric let out a litany of swear words as the alarm clock went off. He moved to grab the offending object but it was shut off before he could get to it.<p>

"Morning," the cheery voice of his little brother rang out. Ed growled in reply. Al laughed and threw a clean towel at him. "Shower's yours."

The scene in the kitchen that morning was so domestic it made Ed smile. Trisha stood at the stove flipping bacon in a pan while Hohenheim made coffee, a paper held under his arm. Al and Ed both sat at the table, eagerly eating the food that Trisha put on the plates in front of them.

The weather was getting colder so both boys were wearing school sweaters under their blazers. A car horn honked outside and the boys both sprang from their seats. Trisha dropped a kiss on to each of their heads before they left, also taking the time to tighten and neaten Ed's tie.

"Be safe," she called as they exited the house, racing for the car that was parked at the end of the street.

"Good morning to you too," Roy grumbled as the two blondes piled into his car. Ed mumbled something that was probably rude from where he sat in the front seat, loosening the tie as he did so.

"How's your week with your parents going then?" Roy asked as he drove to school.

"Fine," Ed answered which Roy took to mean great. It had been decided that Ed would spend short amounts of time with his true family at least at first.

"Well it sure is quiet without you at home," Roy commented, which Ed took to mean as dull.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at school they were greeted with the welcome sight of Maes, back at school for the first time since the camping trip.<p>

"So there you are slacker," Roy commented getting out of his car.

"Good to see you too Roy," Maes answered.

Ed looked around and noticed the whole group was there. Winry came up and hugged him and then held onto his arm. He smiled at everyone. They'd been through a lot but they had all come out just fine. Maybe even better than fine, he thought, glancing at his little brother.

* * *

><p><em>As I'm sure you worked out that was the last chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed it and thank you for sticking with me. <em>


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